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Code cracked for shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery

Q: What is this europe story about?

The brass lock, found in the sand near Port Talbot, forms part of a 1583 shipwreck treasure hoard.

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This story was published by BBC UK on November 3, 2026 and curated on Africa Front.

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Trade & AfCFTA, Infrastructure, Arts & Culture

November 3, 2026

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Code cracked for shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery

Published5 hours ago

Experts have cracked a four-letter code to open an ancient padlock from a shipwreck off the Welsh coast using modern scanning technology.

The 400-year-old brass lock was discovered by metal detectorist Peter Hughes in the sand near Margam in Port Talbot, in 1999.

It forms part of a wider treasure hoard from the Ann Francis ship that was caught in a storm on 28 December 1583 on the way back from Spain. Its cargo was hidden beneath the sand for centuries.

Museum experts have used CT scanning to examine the lock's internal mechanism, identify the correct letter combination and solve the mystery.

Peter Hughes, from Maesteg, said the padlock was one of hundreds of artefacts he found after decades of searching on Morfa beach.

Found near a collection of Spanish silver coins and close to two coin weights, it is thought the lock may have protected these objects or secured a chest containing valuable items that did not survive, like documents or textiles.

"It was by chance - a day off. I was walking along the beach with my metal detector on a day off, and I came across a coin," the 69-year-old said.

"That was the start of a journey that lasted 21 years."

He said he was "delighted" that the expert team at Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University cracked the padlock code after he spent years trying to solve the mystery himself.

"I tried to unlock it for about 20 years, I tried moving the dials, finding the right combinations, and I failed," he said.

"But with the aid of modern technology we've been able to crack what's like the Da Vinci code, really.

"For me, it's like opening the Ark of the Covenant, and I'm delighted, truly thrilled."

'Cracking the code was like a puzzle'

Dr David Williams, a research associate based at Cardiff University's School of Engineering, said he was "sceptical" when he was asked to use a scanning device to try and solve the mystery.

"It's challenging, the device we have is not designed to this particular purpose," he said.

"This is micro CT scanning, something you'd get at the hospital, but for smaller items."

Williams said he was "always open to a challenge" and trying to "figure out a puzzle".

"We did a first scan to see if we could see anything and we were quite surprised that we could see letters," he said.

"The second scan went terribly, but with the third scan, we tried a different approach, and figured out the code.

"I was blown away that we actually cracked it."

Hughes passed on the hoard of artefacts to Amgueddfa Cymru in 2017, and the collection, with the lock in the centre, was put on display at Swansea Waterfront Museum in July 2026.

Senior curator Alastair Willis said the discovery of the code, which spells out ANCE, was "incredible".

"It's really complex because there are so many combinations," he said.

"There are four different rings, and because there are six different letters on each of the rings, there are 1,296 different combinations, and you have to make sure they're aligned with the loop at the top."

His colleague at Amgueddfa Cymru, senior curator Siân Iles, said the lock was in "excellent condition" and paints a picture of the period.

"This is a wonderful example of one that still functions as it would have done hundreds of years ago," she said.

"Because it was found so close to the wreck of the Ann Francis and with all the material that's part of that collection, it provides a really good context, it allows us to really tightly date it.

"I've seen others, and they're usually corroded and in different parts, but it was in wonderful condition.

"It's a small object so it probably would have been a lock for a chest or a small box, we don't know the content, and that's part of the story, there are some things we'll never know, but it's something that would have meant something to the person who knew that code."

What should you do if you discover treasure?

Treasure has a variety of definitions, external, as per the Treasure Act of 1996.

In Wales, if you find treasure it must be reported to a Finds Liaison Officer, external within 14 days of first finding it or within 14 days of realising an item might be treasure, even if you have had it for longer.

Only items officially defined as treasure need to be reported and there is a fine or up to three months in prison for not reporting.

There are different rules for Scotland, external and Northern Ireland, external.

After a find is reported, you will be contacted by either a Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator to talk about how and where you made the find.

The Finds Liaison Officer or museum curator will then write a report on the find and the coroner will hold an inquest.

The Finds Liaison Officer will help you get the coins assessed by experts to determine if they meet the legal definition of "treasure" under the Treasure Act 1996, external.

If a museum wants the treasure, the Treasure Valuation Committee will ask an expert to value the find.

They will recommend to the Secretary of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, external how much the treasure is worth and how much should go to anyone eligible for a share of a reward.