Description and research notes
This Treasury Bill specimen was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and represents a non-circulating fiscal instrument prepared for internal reference, accounting control, and archival purposes. The note is denominated at five thousand dollars and forms part of the upper range of Barbados Treasury Bill denominations, distinct from the extreme high-value issues produced for exceptional treasury requirements.
The note is printed in the official multicolour security design, featuring an ornate guilloche frame and a dense repeating “Government of Barbados” background pattern across the entire face. The denomination “$5,000” is clearly printed at lower left. A bold diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint is applied across the face, permanently identifying the document as a specimen prepared outside of any circulation context.
The serial number is C000000, comprising six zero digits following the prefix C. This fully zeroed serial format is characteristic of specimen material created for reference, verification, and institutional control rather than issuance or financial use.
Cancellation has been applied by a single punch hole, precisely placed to invalidate the instrument for redemption while preserving it as an official reference document. The use of a single punch hole represents a deliberate specimen treatment variant observed on selected Barbados Treasury Bills of this period.
This example is preserved in graded condition and represents a fully prepared specimen state combining red overprint identification, controlled serial format, and single punch-hole cancellation. Surviving specimen Treasury Bills of this denomination are rare and typically encountered as isolated examples rather than as complete or systematic groups.