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Canada might logically have used the English system of pounds, shillings, and pence in designating its coins; but the influence of the French population in Quebec and the growing volume of trade with the United States, together with the inherent advantages of the metric system, led to the passage of an Act for the Province of Canada in 1853 which provided for a decimal currency with a dollar equivalent to the United States dollar. The Canadian currency is unique in that it has been permitted to develop naturally in response to the needs of trade and industry. It has not been burdened with political compromises which have commonly accompanied wars or other emergencies. Parliament, furthermore, has been content with a legal structure which has permitted it to be used effectively. Gold, as the basis of the credit structure, assumed a place of increased importance during the Great War due to the work of the Dominion in facilitating the movement of gold between the United States and her allies. Recently, Canada has become the second largest producer of gold thus adding to the importance of this commodity. The bank note is the outstanding feature of the currency system. It is issued at small cost and constitutes the circulating medium of the country.