Catalog
100 Dollars Sailing Ships
| Issuer | Government of Antigua & Barbuda |
|---|---|
| Year | 1981 |
| Type | Souvenir banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette in bold relief silver intaglio presents two full-rigged sailing vessels at sea — the Cassandra (left, labelled '23 K') and the Fancy (right, labelled 'Cassandra and Fancy') — evoking the encounter between pirate captain Edward England and the merchant ship Cassandra. Ornate floral and scroll borders flank the design on both sides, with denomination numerals '100' set within cartouches at each corner. The issuer legend arches across the upper border and the value inscription runs along the lower border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | GOVERNMENT OF ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 23 K CASSANDRA AND FANCY ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS |
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| Comments |
Antigua and Barbuda gained independence on 1 November 1981, and this note was issued as part of that commemorative moment — a collector piece rather than anything that ever changed hands at a market stall. The .999 fine silver substrate pressed against 23-karat gold foil is a production oddity: not a bimetallic coin trick but a genuine laminated sheet note, a format that remained a curiosity in the numismatic trade through the 1980s.
Alan D'Estrehan's involvement places this squarely in the small world of Caribbean commemorative issue design of that decade. Mintage figures were tightly controlled, and the notes were sold primarily through philatelic and numismatic bureaus rather than through banking channels.