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Sceat - Beonna
| Issuer | East Anglia, Kingdom of |
|---|---|
| Year | 757-760 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 14.5 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central annulet surrounded by a radiate or spoke-like geometric pattern composed of runic letters arranged symmetrically around the central boss, forming a wheel-like design within a beaded border. The runic legend reading BEONNA REX (King Beonna) is distributed around the central motif in the field. The overall composition is characteristic of the angular, abstract style typical of Anglo-Saxon sceattas of the mid-eighth century. The design is executed in bold relief against a flat field, with the runic characters serving both an epigraphic and decorative function. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Runic |
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| Additional information |
Beonna is one of the few Anglo-Saxon rulers whose existence was confirmed almost entirely through numismatic evidence — historical records mention him only obliquely, and it was the discovery of his coins that established him as a contemporary of Offa of Mercia rather than a predecessor. The 1980s metal-detector find at Middle Harling in Norfolk produced enough Beonna sceattas to demonstrate that his kingdom maintained a functioning mint at a moment when East Anglian political independence was already under serious Mercian pressure.
Some examples bear a moneyer's name, EFE, making them among the earliest English coins attributable to a named moneyer.