Oak Island Breakthrough: Ancient Coins, Military Seals, and Secret Tunnels Ignite New Hopes
Oak Island, Nova Scotia — For over two centuries, the windswept shores of Oak Island have guarded secrets that have baffled generations of treasure hunters. Now, fresh discoveries by Rick and Marty Lagina and their team suggest the island may finally be giving up its elusive mysteries.
In a recent episode of The Curse of Oak Island, the team returned to Lot 5 on the island’s western edge, where they uncovered an astonishing collection of ancient coins spanning civilizations and centuries. Using metal detectors, metal-detecting expert Gary Drayton and longtime partner Craig Tester unearthed coins dating from the 16th-century Tudor era to Roman times — including one believed to be from 100–300 AD — and an Indian coin possibly from the 6th to 8th century. Experts believe the coins hint at pre-Columbian voyages and a multi-layered history yet to be fully understood.
“It’s mind-blowing to think how these coins ended up here,” said Marty Lagina, who believes the finds may point to ancient treasure buried alongside the legendary Money Pit.
The revelations didn’t stop there. Nearby, an expedition led by Rick Lagina and Drayton uncovered what at first looked like another coin but turned out to be a lead bag seal, historically used to secure large shipments of military or industrial goods. An X-ray analysis by archaeologist Emma Culligan revealed the seal matched marks from an 18th-century British military packer, fueling speculation that British forces may have hidden supplies — or valuables — beneath the island’s surface centuries before modern accounts.
Elsewhere on Lot 13, a curious formation known as the “Quadrilateral” added yet another clue. Beneath a stacked arrangement of rocks, the team uncovered distinctive blue clay — the same type that once lined the original Money Pit, apparently used to keep water out. More surprising was the discovery of an ancient iron staple buried four feet deep, which blacksmith experts say likely anchored ropes and pulleys — perhaps part of a hidden trap system designed to protect something precious.
As if to echo Oak Island’s connection to powerful figures, a recent dig at the D2 bore hole unearthed a 19th-century boot, believed to belong to a member of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ill-fated 1909 treasure hunt. Roosevelt, then a young lawyer and Freemason, famously invested in the Oak Island Treasure Company long before his presidency.
Adding to the intrigue, a recent shaft excavation brought up an ancient digging spike and swages — tools historically used to sharpen drills — linking current finds to artifacts recovered on Lot 21, once owned by early treasure hunter and Freemason Daniel McGinnis.
Together, these finds fuel the belief that Oak Island’s secrets stretch back far beyond the first recorded digs of 1795 — possibly connecting Templar legends, transatlantic voyages, and even ancient European or Roman contact.
“We’re peeling back the layers of a puzzle that spans centuries,” said Rick Lagina. “Every artifact is another piece of the story.”
With every coin, seal, staple, and hidden tunnel, the Lagina brothers edge closer to solving one of North America’s greatest unsolved mysteries — keeping millions of viewers and dreamers captivated by the hope that Oak Island’s treasure may finally come to light.
Stay tuned for further updates as the dig continues.