Curse Of Oak Island Season 13 Episode 2: Oak Island’s Billion-Dollar Treasure Finally Been Solved
OAK ISLAND, Nova Scotia – In a gripping escalation of one of history’s most enduring mysteries, the Lagina brothers and their team on “The Curse of Oak Island” have unearthed artifacts that could rewrite transatlantic history, including a 14th-century Portuguese coin linked to the Knights Templar and a potentially Roman-era find valued at up to $30,000. The discoveries, featured in the latest episode “Billion Dollar Baby,” suggest Oak Island may harbor not just buried gold, but secrets spanning centuries—from medieval Europe to possible pre-Columbian voyages.
The episode, which aired this week as part of the show’s 13th season, centers on intensified drilling operations in the infamous Money Pit area. Rick and Marty Lagina, the Michigan-based entrepreneurs leading the expedition, targeted borehole J9, believed to sit near the collapsed original treasure shaft from the 1800s. Descending beyond 150 feet into depths of 210-250 feet, the team referenced historical accounts from James Pitblado, a 19th-century foreman who secretly retrieved a silver coin in 1849.
That very coin, now authenticated by expert Sandy Campbell, dates to 1367-1383 and bears Templar-era symbols. “It’s a Templar-era Portuguese coin… an ode to the Templar legacy,” Campbell declared, estimating its standalone value at $25,000-$30,000. If part of a larger chest, he added, the haul could exceed a billion dollars—hence the episode’s tantalizing title.
“This means we’re right where the story says the treasure was,” Rick Lagina remarked, as metal fragments from the site matched 1800s iron alloys, linking directly to Pitblado’s era. The team theorized these remnants stem from drill rods that may have struck stacked treasure chests before floods intervened. Soil samples are now being tested for traces of gold or silver, fueling hopes of a “solution channel” trap where collapsed valuables collected.
Half a mile away on Lot 5, the digs yielded even more intrigue. Marty Lagina, nephew Peter Fornetti, and metal expert Gary Drayton removed a massive boulder to reveal a 1600s-1700s cast iron pot fragment, predating the Money Pit’s 1795 discovery. Archaeologist Fiona Steele’s shoreline team uncovered 1600s-1800s pottery and a button possibly tied to the Knights of Malta.
The episode’s climax came with another coin: an irregular, marked piece Drayton pegged as “pre-1600s… an old one,” potentially Roman or early medieval. If verified, it joins prior Roman finds on the lot, challenging narratives of European arrival in the Americas. “We might actually be looking at the truth,” Rick Lagina said, his voice trembling with emotion.
At Smith’s Cove, a rose-head nail—hand-forged and chest-like—further hinted at ancient construction. The swamp, revisited via sonar, suggests engineered tunnels connecting sites, possibly for transporting relics.
Skeptics remain, but the Laginas’ blend of science—X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, geophysical mapping—and determination has revitalized Templar theories. Once outlawed, the order’s Knights of Christ may have ferried wealth to Nova Scotia for safekeeping. “You don’t cross oceans and bury money under a flooding system… There’s something else they were protecting,” Rick pondered, alluding to relics, documents, or lost knowledge.
Marty, the pragmatic counter to Rick’s enthusiasm, admitted awe: “If this is what it looks like, we may be rewriting part of history.”
After over a decade and 230 years of speculation, Oak Island’s allure endures. Teasers for next week’s episode hint at a new underground void. As Rick closed: “There’s a real treasure here—a monetary treasure, yes, but also secret knowledge.”
The episode underscores the team’s personal stakes: family bonds, setbacks, and cathartic breakthroughs. For fans, it’s not just gold—it’s the human quest for the unknown.
The Curse of Oak Island airs Tuesdays on the History Channel. Viewer discretion advised for muddy digs and historical rabbit holes.