100 Dollars Sailing Ships

Antigua and Barbuda gained full independence on 1 November 1981, and this note was issued to mark that event — making it a commemorative from the very first year of the country's existence as a sovereign state. Alan D'Estrehan's involvement places it within the small community of Caribbean artists commissioned for independence-era numismatic issues during this period.

The .999 fine silver composition bonded against 23-karat gold foil is the technically interesting element here. These hybrid metallic notes were produced in limited runs for the collector market and were never intended for circulation — survival rates are high relative to issue quantity, which keeps values modest despite the precious metal content.