ARAB-SASANIAN, MALIK B. 'AWS, Drachm, SK (Sijistan) 66h. WEIGHT: 2.63g. REFERENCES: SICA 1: 367; Album – (see note after M40). CONDITION: Clipped, fine to good fine and extremely rare NOTE: A coin of one of the rarest Arab-Sasanian governors, known only from a handful of examples all of which bear this mint and date. The first name, Malik, is almost certainly correctly read but the patronymic, bin 'Aws, is conjectural. Discussing this issue in SICA 1 (pp. 25-26), Album plausibly suggests that the date is in fact a frozen year – a practice common in Sijistan – and that Malik may have held power there for a short time between 66h and 72h.
Estimate: £2,000-3000