Roman Victory in the Bar Kokhba War

CNG 100, Lot: 1867. Estimate $12500. Sold for $25123. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Hadrian. AD 117-138. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 7.24 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 134-138. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate bust right, slight drapery / VICTOR IA AVG, Victory advancing front, head left, holding wreath and palm frond. RIC II 283; Strack 279δ (same rev. die); Calicó 1393 (same dies); BMCRE 764 (same obv. die); Biaggi 663 (same dies). Near EF, lustrous.

According to Strack (pp. 132–9) and Mattingly (BMCRE p. cxlvi), the various Victory reverses on such late issues refer to the Roman victory in the Bar Kochba War in Judaea (AD 132-135).