100 Dollars Sailing Ships

Antigua and Barbuda gained full independence on 1 November 1981, and this note was issued in direct commemoration of that event — which is why the piece exists at all. It is a numismatic souvenir item, not a circulating banknote, produced as a collectible from the moment of issue.

The bimetallic construction — .999 fine silver substrate against 23-karat gold foil — is the central technical point of interest here. Alan D'Estrehan handled the design, though documentation on the specific printer or fabricator for this unusual format remains thin in the standard references.