That's the first time I acquire the god of war, Mars, on a silver Denarius. I'd like to read your comments on the availability and value of such coins, since many of them are being offered to me these days. The coin weighs 3.03 g. and represents Emp. Septemius Severus. Thank you..
Go to acsearch.info. Type in the search terms "Septimius Severus denarius, Mars". Do the same thing in CNG's archives. Do the same thing in CoinArchives. Do the same thing in eBay's advanced search, specifying "sold" or "completed" listings only. Go to vcoins, Numisbids, Sixbid, and eBay; search for currently available similar coins. Bear in mind the condition of your coin compared to others, and adjust your estimate accordingly. The condition of your coins is always difficult for us to assess since you post low resolution scans.
The images are larger but aren't any better in terms of resolution. You buy and post so many coins... perhaps it's time to buy a camera? They aren't very expensive. Learning to take good coin pictures can be fun, and speaking for myself, I'd really like to see better images of your lovely coins.
Also, the problem with a scanner is that it doesn't accurately portray the fabric of the coin, which makes it impossible to say whether it looks fake or not. TIF is right - it's way past time for a camera since you do so much collecting.
The best guide to rarity for this period is often said to be the Reka Devnia hoard which contained many thousands of denarii. Rare coins of Septimius number under 3 in the hoard while the most common are well over 100. This one had 65 specimens which suggests it is common but not the very most common. I agree the scan image makes the coin look questionable but that is more of a reason to buy a camera than to worry about the coin. I've seen worse grade coins but it is not a high demand item so, if genuine, it would seem to be a nice ordinary coin of Septimius. It is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to brag about.
