Curse of Oak Island S13 Premiere: Team Claims Breakthrough in Century-Old Mystery

OAK ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA — After more than 230 years of failed excavations, lost fortunes and six recorded deaths, the Oak Island mystery has taken a dramatic new turn. The Season 13 premiere of The Curse of Oak Island launched with a special two-hour event that delivered what may be the most significant physical evidence ever linked to the legendary Money Pit — a medieval Portuguese coin potentially dating back to the 14th century.

The discovery has energized brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, partner Craig Tester, and the entire team as they begin their most ambitious and high-stakes season to date. Instead of chasing unexplained anomalies or scattered clues, the team is now operating with a unified strategy: map and drill a massive geological void known as the solution channel, a natural underground cavity more than 200 feet below the Money Pit area. They believe it may contain the long-lost treasure said to have fallen deeper into the Earth centuries ago.

A COIN THAT COULD REWRITE HISTORY

The most electrifying moment of the premiere arrived during a war-room meeting when researcher Doug Crowell introduced guest Steve Solomon — a descendant of the Archibald family, key figures in an 1840s Oak Island treasure search.

Solomon brought forward a silver coin that his family claims was retrieved in the infamous Piblatto drilling incident of 1849, when foreman James Piblatto reportedly pocketed a mysterious metallic object recovered from nearly 100 feet down in the Money Pit.

Metallurgical expert Emma Culligan later confirmed the coin as a genuine Portuguese tornês, minted during the reign of King Fernando I between 1367 and 1383. Composed of 37.5% silver and slightly bent, possibly by drilling equipment, the coin appears to have been sealed underground for centuries.

“This is singularly unique in terms of its importance,” historian Charles Barkhouse said. “There is a narrative associated with this coin.”
Rick Lagina was even more direct: “It’s proof that something is at the bottom of the Money Pit.”

The coin also bears a mark resembling a Templar cross, adding further weight to theories linking Oak Island to medieval Knights Templar or their Portuguese successors, the Knights of Christ.

DRILLING INTO THE UNKNOWN

Buoyed by the coin’s appearance, the team shifted immediately into a more aggressive drilling campaign. Their target: boreholes in the J6, 8, and 5 locations — just feet from last season’s dramatic collapse in the TO1 shaft.

Geologist Terry Matheson and operations manager Scott Barlow oversaw drilling past 180 feet until the rods suddenly dropped, signaling entry into the long-suspected solution channel. The cavity is believed to contain the debris field — and possibly the treasure — from the original Money Pit collapse.

The drill cores revealed 19th-century metal casing fragments, strong evidence that the modern team has intersected the exact area where early searchers once drilled.

“Finding this tells us we’re right where we need to be,” Matheson said.

LOT 5: A SECRET BASE CAMP?

While drilling advanced in the Money Pit zone, archaeological work on Lot 5 revealed astonishing clues suggesting centuries of activity predating the 1795 discovery.

Led by Laird Niven, the team uncovered:

• A rounded stone foundation and a second rectangular structure, deliberately buried

• Staffordshire slipware pottery dated to 1675–1770

• Iron fasteners indicating additional construction

• A Venetian glass bead, one of several found on-site, possibly dating as early as the 10th century

Artifacts tied to the Knights of Malta, descendants of the Knights Templar, have also emerged in previous seasons.

“This site shows evidence of activity as early as 1200,” archaeologist Laird Niven reported. “It reflects multiple occupations across centuries.”

A UNIFIED THEORY TAKES SHAPE

The premiere skillfully interconnected three major storylines:

• The Portuguese coin — providing the “why”: proof of medieval treasure

• Deep drilling into the solution channel — providing the “where”: the treasure’s likely resting place

• Lot 5 archaeology — providing the “who” and “when”: medieval Europeans possibly linked to Templar networks

For the first time, Rick and Marty Lagina appear more focused — and more confident — than ever.

“If this coin is truly what Piblatto recovered,” Marty said, “it’s the strongest thing we’ve ever found.”

A SEASON POISED FOR HISTORY

As Season 13 progresses, the team will expand drilling deeper into the solution channel while archaeologists continue to unearth Lot 5’s secrets. Meanwhile, researchers will intensify the search for documents linking medieval Portugal and the Knights of Christ to transatlantic voyages.

After centuries of speculation, Oak Island’s most enduring legend may finally be nearing its resolution.

The curse may not be broken — yet.
But for the first time, the team believes they are holding the key.