Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid. Roman silver denarius L Furius Cn. f. Brocchus who took part in the Gladiator War (War of Spartacus). Obverse: Bust of Ceres right between wheat ear and barley grain, III. VIR across fields, BROCCHI below. Reverse: Curule chair between fasces, L. FVRI / CN. F above. Diameter: ± 18,7 mm Reference: Crawford 414/1. Sydenham 902 Condition: Very fine condition, signs of wear consistent with age and use. Certificate: Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher. Historical context: -> Coins were powerful instruments of communication in the ancient world. Rulers struck their image and ideals into coins, turning currency into one of history’s most enduring propaganda tools. These small objects passed daily through the hands of ordinary people, spreading messages of authority with every exchange. -> The gens Furia, originally Fusia, was one of the most ancient and noble patrician houses in Rome. Its members held the highest offices of the State during the period of the Roman Republic. The first of the Furii to attain the consulship was Sextus Furius Medullinus in 488 BC. Lucius Furius (commonly referred to as L. Furius) was a Roman politician and general during the Roman Republic. He aided Publius Varinius and Lucius Cossinius against Spartacus in the Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War or the War of Spartacus. In 63 BC held the position of "tresviri monetales", one of the three officials in charge of minting coins in the Roman Republic. This is indicated by the inscription “III VIR BROCCHI” on the coin’s obverse. Being a moneyer was both a prestigious and politically significant role. Moneyers could choose designs reflecting personal or familial aspirations and civic virtues. -> CERES (Greek Demeter) was a Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility. In Roman bridal processions, a young boy carried Ceres' torch to light the way. She had the power to fertilize, multiply and fructify plant and animal seed, and her laws and rites protected all activities of the agricultural cycle. Rome was always concerned to maintain a good supply of corn and depended heavily on supplies of grain from Egypt. Ceres was worshipped at her temple on the Aventine Hill, and had a festival, the Cerealia which was celebrated on April 19th. Material: This object has been carefully examined for its material and surface characteristics. Laboratory analysis (e.g. XRF) is not routinely undertaken in private collecting, and destructive testing is avoided as it causes permanent damage to archaeological material. Before modern hallmarking, gold and silver alloys varied depending on local resources, recycling practices and economic conditions.