The Doan Gang’s heist base has been uncovered in a Bucks County archeological dig
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In this year of America’s 250th anniversary, archaeologists and college students recently discovered artifacts dating back to the American Revolution – including the infamous 18th-century robbery.
The dig took place in Newtown, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia, local outlet WFMZ reported. Bucks County Community College students worked alongside Mercer Museum staff during the excavation.
Although it seems like an unassuming piece of land in suburban Pennsylvania, the site was once home to the town’s colonial-era buildings, including the county jail and courthouse.
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The excavation, which took place from March 23 to March 28, focused on the area where the treasury building once stood.
The photos show archaeologists and volunteers working near the open excavation pit, and various small 18th-century artefacts being uncovered, including coins.
Researchers say the area played a role in the 1781 robbery involving the Doan Gang, where thousands of colonial coins were stolen from the Bucks County treasury. A scene involving the Doan Gang is shown at right. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society; Wikimedia Commons)
The excavation took place on land steeped in Revolutionary War history, according to Clint Flack, exhibits specialist at the Bucks County Historical Society.
Flack, who was involved in the dig, told Fox News Digital that the most important find included three British Revolutionary War-era rifles, which were used to fire muskets.
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The historian said they also found a set of small keys – used for furniture or a lock – as well as a Dutch silver coin called a duit and a New York penny from 1737.
Artifacts found in the dig include coins, pottery and musket-related items dating back more than 200 years to colonial America. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)
Archaeologists also found a large amount of porcelain, pottery and glass that had been underground for over 200 years.
The team was “surprised,” Flack said, to find the foundation of the treasure hidden just below the surface, which he described as being in good condition.
“The gang opened the door to the treasurer’s office, but had to open the locked desk by opening drawers with knives.”
The foundation was an important find, as the building was the scene of the infamous robbery of the Doan Gang, a group of Quaker Loyalists who stole thousands of colonial coins in 1781.
The robbery happened just three days after the British surrendered at Yorktown, relates Flack.
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The gang, most of whom belonged to the Doan family, robbed the Bucks County treasury of a large sum – 1,200 Spanish silver dollars and 400 French silver crowns, along with other cash.
“The robberies started at the home of the county treasurer, John Hart, where the robbers seized a bundle of money that had not been deposited in the treasury and the keys to the treasury,” said Flack.
Artifacts unearthed during excavations in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, include a small set of keys, coins, and metal objects dating to the Revolutionary War era, according to researchers. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)
The historian added that other outlaws captured Hart, while another part of the gang robbed a treasury, half a mile away.
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“The gang opened the door to the finance department, but they had to open the locked desk by opening the drawers with knives,” he added. The desk is currently on display at the Mercer Museum.
While the Doan Gang robbery remains a notable chapter, Flack said it’s only a small part of the area’s “amazing” history.
The excavation provides new insight into a Bucks County historic site with ties to both military and criminal history. (Mike Cipher, Bucks County Historical Society)
He said the treasury was used to store guns in the early days of the American Revolution – and Continental Army soldiers were encamped throughout Bucks County.
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“Some Hessians [mercenaries] prisoners at the Battle of Trenton were held in a jail near the treasury,” Flack noted.
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“Several members of the Doan gang are incarcerated in a jail near the treasury.”
