looks like Roman provincial perhaps?

Could the reverse be Ares?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

is there a 3rd century emperor that looks like this?

 

In these poor conditions of conservation, it would not be impossible to attribute this coin to some III century emperors. We should also consider that a provincial coin did not always reproduce a ruler just like the imperial coins. As I wrote you a few posts above, my suggestion is to try to look in Antioch, especially Pisidia.

 

The portrait doesn't look like anyone who was around during the time of activity of the Colonia at Pisidia, Antioch, and that is hardly the only provincial type with letters in the exergue - If, indeed, it is Provincial and not a denarius fourèe core which could possibly have been the center of a foil-wrapped ancient copy of one of the later 1st century emperors' denarii - looking at the portrait, my first impression is Galba, although the resemblance to the Flavians has been noted as well.
The Pisidian Antioch colony had been around since B.C. times, but didn't strike very many types of coins until the 3rd century, beginning with the House of Sevrerus and the only folks from that era who look even vaguely like this portrait might be Maximinus I and son Maximus.
Good luck - these "posers" are actually one of the finest ancient coin learning aids you can work with. In the process of running it to ground, you'll probably become aware of dozens of types with which you formerly were unfamiliar.
If you can chase down a copy of the plates for RPC i and/or II, it's not impossible to take an unknown provincial piece and scan through the plates until you find a match or something close.

 

the only galba i found even coming close, and I am not so sure about it

you might be right about the Flavian Dynasty

Thanks,

April