Where does the name “12-411” come from?

The name “12-411” is derived from Title 12, United States Code, Section 411 — a federal statute that outlines the right of U.S. citizens to redeem Federal Reserve Notes for lawful money. This law originates from Section 16.1 of the original Federal Reserve Act of 1913, and was later codified into the U.S. Code under Title 12 as part of the Emergency Banking Act of 1933.

So while “12-411” is shorthand for the statute’s modern legal citation, its foundation lies in the banking reforms that created the Federal Reserve System more than a century ago