The Curse of Oak Island Season 12 Episode 19: Mystery from the Military Dock

Imagine standing on the wild shores of Nova Scotia, when suddenly, buried deep in the soil of Lot 5, the team uncovers a massive iron wharf pin. Not something you’d use for a barn — this one screams military dock, possibly from the mid-to-late 1700s, hinting at ships once secretly unloading treasure in the shadows.

Right beside it? A curious round stone structure that’s been raising eyebrows all season.

Moments later, they pull out Astbury ware pottery, pristine and dated between 1720–1760 — the same time period. But the real jaw-dropper is a pottery shard marked with a fleur-de-lis, a symbol tied to French royalty and the Knights Templar.

The episode then dives into history — the failed 1746 French expedition led by the Duke d’Anville. While many believe disease and storms sank the fleet, others think a covert crew slipped away, buried treasure, and disappeared. A recently discovered French naval log suggests exactly that: dig a deep pit, bury something valuable.

Meanwhile, digging at the RP2 shaft hits solid oak timbers at almost 100 feet down — possibly part of the original Money Pit platforms. If true, the team is not just near the mystery — they’re inside it.

Then there’s the northern swamp. The team flags out a precise cobblestone path, marked with cut stakes every 14 feet — too consistent to be natural. Could it be a hidden route for moving treasure from the shoreline inland? Another wooden pin buried along this grid suggests something was once anchored here.

A touching moment also unfolds as Gary Drayton’s daughter, Katya, wraps up her treasure-hunting season — discovering a stake of her own before saying goodbye. It’s a reminder that Oak Island is more than buried gold — it’s legacy, family, and the thrill of the unknown.

So what’s next? The RP2 shaft digs deeper toward the legendary 118-foot depth, the swamp reveals more structural clues, and the puzzle continues to come together.

One thing’s for sure — this isn’t just speculation anymore. It’s evidence. And the team may be closer than ever to solving the 200-year-old mystery of Oak Island.