a. [ad. F. bimétallique, f. bi- two, twice, double + métallique METALLIC: used for the nonce by M. Cernuschi in addressing the Soc. of Pol. Econ. in Paris, on Jan. 5, 1869; and in its Eng. form in his paper, ‘Silver Vindicated,’ read before the Social Sc. Assoc. at Liverpool in 1876, after which it was universally adopted as the proper word for the system in question.] Of, pertaining to, or using a ‘double standard’ of currency, i.e., one based upon the two metals gold and silver, in opposition to a monometallic currency based upon gold or silver alone.
1876. (title) ‘La Monnaie bimetallique,’ par Henri Cernuschi, Paris—Eng. Transl. ‘Bi-metallic Money and its bearing on Monetary Crises in Germany, France, England and the United States.’
1876. S. Williamson, Let. S. Smith, 19. We may find no satisfactory adjustment … without adopting a dual or bimetallic standard.
1877. S. Horton, Silver & Gold, 149. The relative amounts of the stock of Bi-metallic countries and of Mono-metallic countries.
1879. H. H. Gibbs, Silver & Gold, 33. In point of fact the world is already bimetallic; but it is an unregulated and haphazard bimetallism which prevails among us.
