Drachm - Seleukos I Nikator Laodikeia by the Sea

Seleukos I was assassinated in 281 BC, leaving this mint actively producing coinage under his successor Antiochos I almost immediately after the dynasty's founder died. Laodikeia ad Mare — modern Latakia on the Syrian coast — was one of the four cities Seleukos founded and named after members of his family, this one honoring his mother. It became a critical naval and administrative hub for western Syria, and its mint output during this transitional reign reflects the urgency of consolidating control over former Lysimachean territories following the Battle of Korupedion.