(AP) -- A South Carolina House panel has tentatively approved a bill allowing residents to use gold and silver coins as currency if a business agrees to take them.

The measure that advanced Thursday to the Judiciary Committee initially required all South Carolina businesses to accept gold and silver as legal payment.

But legislators didn't want to force businesses to take gold and figure out the worth of the coins from one day to the next.

Advocates say the metal coins are more stable than the dollar. Subcommittee Chairman Greg Delleney says trusting in gold and silver is misplaced. The Chester Republican says if the dollar collapses, people are going to be in trouble no matter what the metals are worth. But he sees no downside in making it an option.

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