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Penny of Beonna c. 749-760 AD

A Rare Anglo-Saxon Silver Sceat-Penny of Beonna (c. 749-760 C.E.), King of East Anglia, the First Silver Penny of East Anglia
Great Britain. Kings of East Anglia. AR Sceat-Penny, ND. North-430; S-945B. 1.11 grams. Beonna, c. 749-760 AD. or later. "Interlace" type. Runic inscription: "BEONNA" around central pellet. Reverse: Interlaced quatrefoil with central pellet, and three pellets in each angle. Bold, full strike on remarkably choice metal, just a hint of porosity on the obverse. Handsome medium gray toning, with a few touches of dark gold. Extremely Rare; only six Beonna pennies of this type are believed known, with this the only example in private hands. NGC graded AU-55. .
Of somewhat larger module and slightly heavier weight than the typical sceat. This in fact may be a transitional penny, and was apparently considered a penny by Spink, whose specialist Patrick Finn purchased it in 1988 as a single-find piece, for a reputed £4,500 from the finder after it underwent Treasure Trove law examination by British authorities. It was traded a decade later for a Triple Unite. Beonna is known pricipally from a rare runic sceatta series bearing his name. It is possible that the pellets were intended by the engraver to signify Christ and the disciples. See North, page 18, for an interesting commentary about how little is known of this period. The first silver penny of East Anglia and of utmost importance in the Anglo-Saxon series.