Caracalla. AD 198-217. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 7.23 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 205-206. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right / FELICIA above, TEMPORA in exergue, the Four Seasons, dancing and showing their attributes: from left to right, Spring carries a basin on his head, Summer holds a sickle in right hand above his head, Autumn holds a hare and a tray full of fruit, Winter wears a hood over his head and holds a bird which he has just captured, probably a wild duck. RIC IV 126; Calicó 2672 (this coin illustrated); BMCRE p. 207, note *; Adda –; Biaggi 1176 var. (bust type); Jameson –; Mazzini –. Scratch on obverse. VF. Extremely rare. None in CoinArchives, missing from most collections.
From the Georges Albert Haikel Collection. Ex Spink America 8232 (7 December 1995), lot 2215.
This charming reverse depicts Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in the guise of young boys at play, with each season bearing some symbol of its gift to mankind. Although a common motif in Roman sculpture and painting, its appearance on coinage is rare, recurring from time to time on issues from the 2nd century until the Tetrarchic period.
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