Document:

<PAGE>   1
                                                                  EXHIBIT 4.1

                          [ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES LOGO]

                          ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

             SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS CUSIP 040175 10 1

                          INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS
                            OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

This Certifies that

                    ----------------------------------------

is the record holder of

                    ----------------------------------------

              FULLY PAID AND NONASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK,
                              $.0001 PAR VALUE, OF

                          ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof in person or
by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly
endorsed.  This Certificate is not valid until countersigned by the Transfer
Agent and registered by the Registrar.

        WITNESS the facsimile seal of the Corporation and the facsimile
signatures of its duly authorized officers.

Dated:
       -------------------

                                     [SEAL]

/s/  [SIGNATURE ILLEGIBLE]                         /s/  D. P. BINKLEY
     ----------------------                             -----------------------
     Vice President, Finance and                        President and Chief
     Chief Financial Officer                            Executive Officer

COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED:
        U.S. STOCK TRANSFER CORPORATION
             TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR

BY:
    ------------------------------------
                    AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

<PAGE>   2

        The Corporation shall furnish without charge to each stockholder who so
requests a statement of the powers, designations, preferences and relative,
participating, optional, or other special rights of each class of stock of the
Corporation or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or
restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Such requests shall be made to
the Corporation's Secretary at the principal office of the Corporation.

        The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face
of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

<TABLE>
        <S>                                            <C>
        TEN COM   --  as tenants in common              UNIF GIFT MIN ACT -- ...................Custodian...............
        TEN ENT   --  as tenants by the entireties                                 (Cust)                    (Minor)
        JT TEN    --  as joint tenants with right of                         under Uniform Gifts to Minors
                      survivorship and not as tenants                        Act........................................
                      in common                                                                 (State)
                                                        UNIF TRF MIN ACT  -- .............Custodian (until age.........)
                                                                                 (Cust)
                                                                             ....................under Uniform Transfers
                                                                                    (Minor)
                                                                             to Minors Act..............................
                                                                                                   (State)
</TABLE>

    Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

        For Value Received,___________________________ hereby sell(s), assign(s)
and transfer(s) unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
   IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
--------------------------------------

--------------------------------------

_______________________________________________________________________________
 (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ Shares
of the common stock represented by the within certificate, and do hereby
irrevocably constitute and appoint

______________________________________________________________________ Attorney
to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation
with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated ______________________

                              X_________________________________________________

                              X_________________________________________________
                               THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND
                               WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE
                     NOTICE:   CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT
                               ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.

Signature(s) Guaranteed

By___________________________________
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED
BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION
(BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND
LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS
WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM),
PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.<PAGE>   1
                                                                     PROPERTY OF
                                                     ARGONAUT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.11

                    PROMISSORY NOTE SECURED BY DEED OF TRUST

$200,000                                     December 17, 1996
                                             San Carlos, California

     FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, David P. Binkley ("EMPLOYEE") and
Cecilia Binkley, husband and wife, (collectively the "BORROWER"), promises to
pay to Argonaut Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), or
order, the principal amount of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000). The
principal amount hereof plus interest at the rate of 6.31% per annum (compounded
annually) shall be due and payable to the holder hereof at 887 Industrial Road,
Suite G, San Carlos, CA 94070, or such other place as the holder hereof may
designate as follows:

     The principal amount and any accrued interest, if not sooner paid, shall be
     due and payable upon the earlier of the following dates (collectively,
     "MATURITY EVENTS"):

          (1) Ninety (90) days following the date of termination of the
          employment of Employee with the Company, whether voluntary or
          involuntary, and whether with cause or without cause;

          (2) The date of any sale, conveyance, assignment, alienation or any
          other form of transfer, whether voluntary or involuntary, of that
          certain real property commonly known as 11655 Putter Way, Los Altos,
          California 94024 (the "PROPERTY"), or any part of interest therein;
          except that the following transfers of the Property shall not be
          deemed to be a Maturity Event:

               (a) A transfer upon the death of Employee to Employee's surviving
               spouse (providing the surviving spouse is an obligor hereunder)
               or upon the death of Employee's spouse to Employee;

               (b) A transfer by an obligor hereof whereby such obligor's spouse
               becomes a co-owner of the property transferred;

               (c) A transfer resulting from a decree of dissolution of the
               marriage or legal separation of Employee and Cecilia Binkley or
               from a property settlement agreement incidental to such a decree
               which requires the obligor spouse to assume responsibility for
               the obligations under this Note and the deed of trust encumbering
               the Property and securing this Note (the "DEED OF TRUST") and
               pursuant to which Employee or Cecilia Binkley (whoever is the
               obligor) becomes the sole owner of the property transferred; or

               (d) A transfer by one or both obligors under this note into an
               inter vivos trust in which one or both obligors are
               beneficiaries; or
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          (3)  Ten (10) days after the date that any common stock of the Company
          or any other corporation or entity that owns more than 50% of the
          voting stock of the Company is publicly traded including any transfer
          of shares in connection with an initial public offering;

          or

          (4)  December 17, 2001.

     In the event that any of the following occurs, then unless otherwise
prohibited by law, the holder hereof shall have the option, without demand or
notice, to declare the entire outstanding principal balance of this Note,
together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon to be immediately due and
payable: (i) Borrower defaults in the payment of principal or interest when due
pursuant to the terms hereof; (ii) Borrower defaults in its performance of any
obligation contained in the Deed of Trust or any other deed of trust, security
agreement or other agreement (including any amendment, modification or extension
thereof) which may hereafter be executed by Borrower for the purpose of securing
this Note; (iii) any representation or warranty contained in this Note or the
Deed of Trust or any other agreement or instrument executed in connection with
the loan evidenced hereby proves to have been false or misleading in any
material respect; (iv) Borrower defaults in its obligation to pay any
indebtedness or to perform any other obligation which is secured by a deed of
trust or other lien on the Property or default under any deed of trust securing
such indebtedness; (v) Borrower defaults in its obligation to pay any
indebtedness evidenced by any promissory note executed by Borrower and payable
to the holder hereof or there occurs any other default under any deed of trust,
mortgage or other document securing repayment of such indebtedness; or (vi) the
amount of the indebtedness secured by any deed of trust, lien or other
encumbrance encumbering the Property that is senior to the Deed of Trust is
increased over the amount of such indebtedness existing as of the date of this
Note.

     In the event any amount owed by Borrower pursuant to this Note is not paid
when due, such unpaid amount shall bear interest from the due date until paid at
a rate equal to the lesser of: (i) ten percent (10%) per annum; or (ii) the
maximum rate permitted by law. After such due date, all payments shall be
credited first to accrued interest and then to principal.

     If an action is instituted for collection of this Note, Borrower agrees to
pay court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the holder hereof.

     This Note may be amended or modified, and provisions hereof may be waived,
only by the written agreement of Borrower and the holder hereof. No delay or
failure by the holder hereof in exercising any right, power or remedy hereunder
shall operate as a waiver of such right, power or remedy, and a waiver of any
right, power or remedy on any one occasion shall not operate as a bar or waiver
of any such right, power or remedy on any other occasion. Without limiting the
generality of the forgoing, the delay or failure by the holder hereof for any
period of time to enforce collection of any amounts due hereunder shall not be
deemed to be a waiver of any rights of the holder hereof under contract or under
law. The rights of the holder hereof under this Note are in addition to any
other rights and remedies which the holder hereof may have.

                                      -2-
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     This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws
of the State of California.

     This Note may be prepaid at any time without penalty.

                                        BORROWER:

                                        /s/ DAVID P. BINKLEY
                                            ----------------
                                            David P. Binkley

                                        /s/ CECILIA BINKLEY
                                            ----------------
                                            Cecilia Binkley

                                      -3-
<PAGE>   4

                          AMENDMENT TO PROMISSORY NOTE

     This Amendment ("AMENDMENT") is made and entered into as of the 26 day of
June, 2000, by and among Argonaut Technologies, a Delaware corporation (the
"COMPANY"), and David Binkley ("EMPLOYEE") and Cecilia Binkley, husband and
wife (collective, the "BORROWER").

                                   BACKGROUND

     The Company and the Borrower have entered into a certain Promissory Note
Secured by Deed of Trust dated as of December 17, 1996, in the principal
amount of $200,000 (the "NOTE"). The Company and the Borrower hereby desire to
amend Section 3 of the Note pursuant to the following terms and conditions.

                                   AGREEMENT

     In consideration of the promises and conditions set forth in the Note and
this Amendment, the parties agree as follows:

     1. Amendment of Payment Date. Section 3 of the Note is hereby amended and
restated in its entirety to read as follows:

     "(3) Ten (10) days after the date that any common stock of the Company or
any other corporation or entity that owns more than 50% of the voting stock of
the Company is publicly traded including any transfer of shares in connection
with an initial public offering; provided, however, that in the event of the
closing of the Company's initial public offering, the principal and any accrued
interest shall not become payable until one hundred eighty (180) days after the
expiration of any lock-up agreement entered into between Employee and the
Company or the managing underwriters in connection with the initial public
offering; or"

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment to the
Promissory Note Secured by Deed of Trust as of the date first above written.

THE COMPANY                                 BORROWER

By: /s/ BROOK H. BYERS                      /s/ DAVID P. BINKLEY
   ----------------------------             -----------------------------
   Brook H. Byers                           David P. Binkley
   Chairman of the Board

                                            /s/ CECILIA BINKLEY
                                            -----------------------------
                                            Cecilia Binkley

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