Bimetallism has its own problems mainly Gresham's Law during shortages.

I do know that Europe was on a de facto silver standard for hundreds of years prior to the gold standard.
I also know that the gold standard is not all its cracked up to be.

A gold standard means gold as reserve currency. Reserve currency means the initial pool of assets to back whatever notes some institution may issue. There is nothing really stopping an institution from issuing more notes than reserves to back it.