Utah this week became the first state to legalize the use of gold and silver coins as legal currency, the according to the Associated Press.

Republican state Rep. Brad Galvez sponsored the bill, which also excludes gold and silver from capital gains taxes, as a protest against Federal Reserve policies. Galvez said he didn't want a complete return to the gold standard, but wanted to give consumers more options.

"We're too far down the road to go back to the gold standard," Galvez told the AP. "This will move us toward an alternative currency."