100 Dollars Sailing Ships

Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state in November 1981, and this 100 Dollar note was issued as part of the commemorative wave that accompanied independence — a legal tender instrument in form, though never intended for circulation. The .999 fine silver substrate pressed against 23-karat gold foil made that clear from the outset. Alan D'Estrehan, who handled a number of Caribbean commemorative designs in this period, produced the artwork.

The silver-and-gold laminate construction makes condition assessment genuinely different from paper — toning and delamination at the edges are the issues to check, not folds.