A gold coin featuring a guinea pig design from 1766, minted during the reign of King George III, has been discovered during an excavation at Red Bank Park in New Jersey, USA.
Researchers unearthed a mass grave containing the remains of approximately a dozen Hessian mercenaries who died in the Battle of Red Bank in 1777. They also uncovered several treasures, including weapons and a rare gold guinea coin from 1776 issued by King George III.
The gold guinea coin featuring a guinea pig design from 1766 by King George III represents the monthly wage of a Hessian soldier.
The burial site was discovered on June 26, 2022, when an amateur archaeologist volunteering in the area found a human femur while excavating a defensive trench at Fort Mercer, part of the Red Bank Battlefield Park in Gloucester County, southern New Jersey, USA.
Jennifer Janofsky, a professor of social sciences and humanities, as well as a historian at Rowan University in New Jersey and director of the Red Bank Battlefield Park, stated: “I will never forget that moment. It was overwhelming.”
The researchers excavated the skeletons of about 13 Hessian soldiers, who were German troops hired to serve in the British Army.
In addition to the human remains, researchers also found five muskets, rifles, brass buttons, ball ammunition, lead shot containers, knee locks from uniforms with traces of human blood, and the gold guinea coin, which corresponds to the monthly pay for a soldier.
Researchers from nearby Rowan University and officials from Gloucester County presented their findings at a meeting on August 2 and indicated that there may be more remains at this site.
The Battle of Red Bank was an attempt by the British and Hessians to overcome Fort Mercer, an American fort located along the Delaware River. Ultimately, they failed, with approximately 377 Hessian soldiers killed or wounded in the battle, while the Americans lost only 14 troops; the engagement is considered “the worst defeat the Hessians ever experienced.”
Currently, the forensic unit of the New Jersey State Police is conducting DNA extractions for anthropologists to learn more about these defeated soldiers.
