Victory in Judaea

CNG 111, Lot: 694. Estimate $4000. Sold for $5500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Hadrian. AD 117-138. AV Aureus (18.5mm, 7.31 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 134-138. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bareheaded and draped bust right / VICTOR IA AVG, Victory, naked to waist, advancing right, head left, holding up wreath in right hand and palm frond in left. RIC II 283; Strack 279ζο, pl. VI, 279 (same dies as illustration); Calicó 1393 var. (bust type; same rev. die as illustration); BMCRE 764 var. (bust type; same rev. die); Biaggi 763 var. (same; same rev. die); Jameson –; Mazzini 1453 var. (same; same rev. die). VF, a few light marks. Rare with this bust type.

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).