100 Dollars Sailing Ships

This note was issued to commemorate Antigua and Barbuda's independence, which came on 1 November 1981 after nearly three centuries of British colonial rule. The "Sailing Ships" series was produced as a limited collector issue rather than circulating currency — .999 fine silver laminated against 23-karat gold foil places it firmly in the numismatic souvenir category, never intended for a cash drawer.

Alan D'Estrehan's design work for Eastern Caribbean territories in this period was fairly consistent in its maritime themes, reflecting the islands' economic and historical ties to seafaring trade. Whether this note ever achieved serious collector traction is another matter — the early 1980s saw a flood of such commemorative issues from newly independent Caribbean states, and the market grew cautious quickly.