Chief Ju`1stice Chase contemplated the circumstances of Griswolds case against Hepburn. The decision could have far-reaching consequences, at the center of which was the legality of a fiat currency issued by the federal government. Chase considered four particular questions:

3. How would the continued use of the greenback currency serve the public welfare? Surely, sound money was a cornerstone of economic prosperity. Yet to revert entirely to the gold standard would trigger a massive economic adjustment and place the nations finances at the behest of the money centers of Europe, particularly London