Laodicea ad Mare — A settlement in Syria
Laodicea ad Mare was a port city and an important colonia of the Roman empire in ancient Syria. For a short period of time under Septimius Severus, it became the capital of Roman Syria, and subsequently, it became the capital of the Eastern Roman province of Theodorias from 528 AD until 637 AD.

The city enjoyed a huge economic prosperity thanks to the wine produced in the hills around the port and exported to all the empire. The city was famous because of the textile products. Laodicea minted coins from an early Roman date, but the most famous are from Severan times. Under Septimius Severus the city was fortified and was made for a few years the capital of Roman Syria: in this period Laodicea grew to be a city of nearly 40000 inhabitants and had even an hippodrome.

Modern location: Latakia, Syria
(1) Antoninus Pius
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An AE 24 struck AD 140-141 in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: AVTO KAI TI AIΛI AΔPI ANTWNEINOC CEB EY, laureate head right

Reverse: IOVΛIЄШN TШN KAI ΛAOΔIKЄWN, draped and turreted bust of Tyche right, bunches of grapes as earrings; HΠP in left field and MO in right field

Diameter: 24 mm
Die Orientation: 1 H
Weight: 9.84 g
Laodicea ad Mare is modern day Latakia; the principal port city of Syria, and has been inhabited since the second millennium B.C. It was on the Via Maris, a coastal road that ran south from Antioch to Damascus and Beirut. The city was renamed by Seleucus I Nicator in honor of his mother, Laodice and was a major port for the Seleukid Kingdom. Laodikea flourished under Rome and was second only to Antioch in the region. Herod the Great, king of Judaea, furnished Laodikea with an aqueduct, the remains of which stand to the east of the town. The Legio VI Ferrata was probably based in Laodicea Turreted busts such as this typically show a city goddess wearing a headdress incorporating a city gate with turrets, walls and a lighthouse (which can be clearly seen towards the left of this headdress, with it’s wide base and tall narrow top).
RPC IV Online 6264; cf. SNG Copenhagen 351; BMC 60
Roman Provincial (Adoptive Emperors)
(2) Caracalla
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An AR Tetradrachm struck 215-217 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: laureate head right; AVT·K·M·A· ·ANTΩNEINOC_·CEB·

Reverse: eagle facing, head left, wreath in beak, star below; ΔHMAPX · EΞ·VΠATOC·TO'Δ'

Diameter: 27 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 12.5 g
No notes for this coin
Prieur 1179
Roman Provincial (Severan Period)
(3) Caracalla
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An AR Denarius struck 198 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: IMP C M AVR ANTONINVS PONT AVG / Bust right

Reverse: IMP ERII FELICITA / Felicitas standing left, holding a caduceus downwards and a child in arm

Diameter: -
Die Orientation: -
Weight: -
No notes for this coin
No references provided for this coin
Roman Imperial (Severan Period)
(4) Caracalla
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An AR Denarius struck 199 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: Laureate, draped bust right from behind; IMP CAE M AVR ANT AVG P TR P__II

Reverse: Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising skirt; SPES PV_BLICA

Diameter: 17.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 3.75 g
No notes for this coin
RIC IV 341, RSC III 600
Roman Imperial (Severan Period)
(5) Septimius Severus
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An AR Tetradrachm struck 207-208 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: laureate head right; AVT KAI__CEOVHPOC__·CE·

Reverse: Eagle half right, head left, wreath in beak; star below; ΔHMAPX EΞ VΠATOC Γ

Diameter: 26.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 13.2 g
No notes for this coin
Prieur: 1139
Roman Provincial (Severan Period)
(6) Septimius Severus
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An AR Tetradrachm struck 208-209 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: laureate and draped bust right

Reverse: ΔHMAPX·EΞ·YΠATOC·TO·Γ·

Diameter: 25.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 13.1 g
No notes for this coin
Prieur 1149
Roman Provincial (Severan Period)
(7) Septimius Severus
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An AR Denarius struck 201 A.D. in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX - Laureate head right.

Reverse: AEQVITA-TI AVGG - Aequitas standing left, holding scales in right hand, cornucopiae in left.

Diameter: 18.8 mm
Die Orientation: 6 H
Weight: 3.48 g
No notes for this coin
RIC IV-I Laodicea ad Mare 500; RSC 21; BMC 650.
Roman Imperial (Severan Period)
(8) Trajan
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An AE unit struck 115-116 AD in Laodicea ad Mare
Obverse: laureate bust right, draped shoulder; ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟC ΑΡΙCΤ ΚΑΙC CΕΒ ΓΕΡ ΔΑΚ

Reverse: veiled and turreted head of Tyche; ΙΟΥΛIEWN TWN KΑI__ΛΑΟΔΙΚΕWΝ ΓΞΡ / M / KO

Diameter: 24.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 8.6 g
No notes for this coin
BMC 48-50; SNG Copenhagen 348
Roman Provincial (Adoptive Emperors)