These have such colorful names as "Swamp," "Hatch," "Smith's Cove," "Nolan's Cross," and "Money Pit." Collier's Magazine, August 18. This week on The Curse of Oak Island, an ancient map points the way to the fabled treasure vault and the Money Pit. The maid fled to London with the jewels, and perhaps artwork, documents and other treasures, secreted on her person and/or in her luggage. The UnMuseum - Oak Island Mystery "[64], According to the earliest theory, the pit held a pirate treasure buried by Captain Kidd;[4][65] Kidd and Henry Avery reportedly took treasure together, and Oak Island was their community bank. [6], At the invitation of Boston-area businessman David Mugar, a two-week survey was conducted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1995 (the only known scientific study conducted on the site). Or, perhaps more hopefully, could they have been dropped by a wealthy group out on Oak Island to bury treasure of their own? The nearest community is the rural community of Western Shore which faces the island, while the nearest village is Chester. The most interesting result is that about 0.07 percent of the metal registers as AU, more commonly known as gold. 1897 - 2nd Fatality is recorded. Further excavation uncovers more evidence that the stone structure in the swamp could be a roadway, and analysis of the serpent mound has it dating back to the Templars. on one corner, but apart from this there was no evidence of any inscription either cut or painted on the stone.". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Secret Treasure of Oak Island: The Amazing True Story of a Centuries at the best online prices at eBay! Rick and Marty Lagina have spent countless hours digging over the years and have discovered some "top pocket finds." The group left the island in November 1909. Adding this floral-designed keyplate to previous discoveries like the skeleton key Tom Nolan showed the team earlier in Season 5, Episode 12 "A Key to the Mystery" and the treasure chest hinge found Season 4, Episode 15 "Blood is Thicker" indicates that the likelihood of the Oak Island team finally finding a buried treasure trove seems to be increasing. On January 2, 1864, Historical Society of Nova Scotia secretary John Hunter-Duvar contacted treasure hunter George Cooke. While trying to find the parameters of a recently found stone pathway that might lead to Oak Island's legendary treasure, archeologists Miriam Amirault and Dr. Aaron Taylor dig up a beautiful handmade artifact in "The Curse of Oak Island" Season 8, Episode 14 "Fire in the Hole.". That is quickly followed up by a more incredible find: A piece of ammunition called grapeshot. DeMille lived on Oak Island for a summer and had firsthand knowledge of the area. [12] The Truro Company then ran out of funds and was dissolved sometime in 1851. Some believe one of the greatest treasures of all time is hidden on this mysterious Island off the coast of Nova Scotiawith theories ranging from Knights Templar gold to Captain Kidd pirate booty. It was first reported in a July 2, 1862, Halifax Sun and Advisor article, which mentioned a June 2, 1862, letter by J. It was later identified as a Spanish eight Maravedis copper coin, most likely from the 17th century. It was later speculated that the treasure had fallen through the new shaft into a deep void causing the new shaft to flood as well. 'Curse Of Oak Island' Finds Gold By The Garden Shaft Gary owns Little Mash Island, a tiny spit of land a few hundred yards . [12] When efforts failed to shut off the flood system, one final shaft was dug 118 feet (36m) deep with the branched-off tunnel going under the original shaft. They were minted in the 1600s, which is more than 100 years before the first discovery of the Money Pit in 1795. Freemason Dennis King examines the Masonic aspects of the Oak Island legend in his article, "The Oak Island Legend: The Masonic Angle". Stories of buried treasure on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, William Chappell and Gilbert Hedden (19281939), Restall family and Robert Dunfield (19591966). The drains were covered by coconut fibers and eelgrass to filter sand and debris that could clog the drains. [82], When marine biologist Barry Fell attempted to have the symbols on the stone translated during the late 1970s, he said that the symbols resembled the Coptic alphabet and read: "To escape contagion of plague and winter hardships, he is to pray for an end or mitigation the Arif: The people will perish in misery if they forget the Lord, alas". According to Daniel Ronnstam, the stone found at 90 feet (27m) contains a dual cipher created by Bacon. The structure has a notch in it every four feet and features a different Roman number. No original documents relating to the Onslow Company have ever been found. According to the prospectus, the stone was taken out of the chimney and moved to Halifax; there, James Liechti[47] was said to have deciphered the stone as reading: "Ten feet below are two million pounds buried".[48]. A 19th century excavation. The symbols associated with the "Forty feet below" translation first appeared in 1949's True Tales of Buried Treasure by explorer and historian Edward Rowe Snow. Although Bowdoin was told that they had worn off, he was skeptical because of the stone's hardness. In a January 27 letter to Hunter-Duvar, Cooke claimed that Smith built the stone into his chimney in 1824 and said that he was shown the stone by Smith in the chimney around 1850, when "there were some crudely cut letters, figures or characters upon it. A "curse" on the treasure is said to have originated more than a century ago and states that seven men will die in the search for the treasure before it is found.[2]. 'Curse Of Oak Island' Team Believes It Has Found The Gold Tests conclude that it dates between the early 1600s to 1700s and could be a hinge meant for a very thick door. As far as theories about Oak Island go, this one is still one of the most plausible and would definitely explain all the European artifacts found on the island. This artifact supports the theory that the Knights Templar may have been on the island. This discovery could be another clue that a Spanish Galleon and its treasure could be sunk in the Oak Island swamp. On appeal, Triton lost again in 1989 and Nolan's damages were reduced. Tests reveal the wood beams predate the discovery of the Money Pit by more than two decades. 163-foot (50m) shaft southwest of what he believed was the site of the 1897 shaft (which was thought, without evidence, to be near the original pit). Discovery of these fibers suggests that box drains exist. However, this coin appeared to be of a much smaller size; perhaps two Maravedis rather than eight. One can only wonder what would have happened if young Daniel McGinnis had chosen to go exploring somewhere else on that fateful day in the summer of 1795. In the following Season 6 episode, "Gold Rush," the brooch is taken to gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain who says that the gem is actually leaded glass, though a threaded technique used on the brooch dates the jewelry to the 14th century or earlier. [24] Bowdoin later examined the "stone cipher" in Halifax and found it a basalt rock with no symbols. This artifact could be evidence of the Duc D'Anville Expedition of 1746, an armada of 97 ships and 13,000 men that was launched by France in an attempt to seize Nova Scotia from the British and was led by a member of the ancient royal La Rochefoucauld family. It is taken to geochemist Tobias Skowronek, who informs them that it was most likely a cloisonn decoration an ancient method of decorating jewelry using small metal strips. This seems even more likely when the Lagina Brothers retrieve a large metal hinge with drill holes in it from the same location. Could this coin be a piece of a much larger buried treasure? At one point, one of the platforms placed in the original shaft at 98 feet (30m) collapsed and dropped to a lower level. prevented him from doing so. A retired geologist has taken decades of experience in the oil business to dig into the history of Nova Scotia's Oak Island. Back in the 17th century, coins like the maravedi used to be cut to provide change, leading to the phrase "Pieces of eight" popularized by the Robert Louis Stevenson pirate novel classic "Treasure Island." Is it possible Ball found of the treasure? Experts Baffled by Mysterious Underground Chambers - ABC News Robert Restall, his 18-year-old son, and work partner Karle Graeser, came to Oak Island in 1959 after signing a contract with one of the property owners. [27] Further excavations were made in 1935 and 1936, none of which was successful.[28]. No treasure was discovered on board which some believe is buried on Oak Island. At 127 feet (39m), a number of artifacts, including an axe, a fluke anchor and a pick, were found. It was then decided to drill five bore holes using a pod-auger into the original shaft. It was announced in April 2006 that brothers Rick and Marty Lagina of Michigan had purchased 50 percent of Oak Island Tours from David Tobias for an undisclosed sum. In his book, Snow said that he received the set of symbols from Rev. The Curse of Oak Island. An account of an excavation of the pit was published in the January 1965 issue of Reader's Digest. One young boy called Daniel McGinnis found a circular depression. Since the 19th century, many attempts have been made by explorers from different parts of the globe to locate cryptic artifacts and treasures.