Occasionally there are attempts to intimidate independent currency issue. Bernard Von Nothaus was convicted in 2011 for issuing Liberty Dollars, coins backed by silver that significantly resemble United States money.

Lawyer Bill Rounds replied, "Congress [has] the power to punish counterfeiting the coins that they themselves produce, and probably to punish coins resembling genuine United States coins. Again, there is absolutely no mention of private coinage. In fact, the definition of private coinage is that it is not the current coin of the United States. Therefore, Congress has no authority over private coinage at all and neither does any other branch."

The book "Rethinking Or Centralized Monetary System: the Case for Local Currencies" by Lewis Solomon, professor of legal research at George Washington University, details legal precedent.

Here is a sample letter to be signed by a congressmember from the Ithaca area. It can be sent to any official who threatens free trade.