The brass lock, discovered as part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard, has remained firmly locked since the ship was wrecked off the Welsh coast in 1583. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
The brass lock, discovered as part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard, has remained firmly locked since the ship was wrecked off the Welsh coast in 1583. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
By Georgia Cook
Experts have cracked a code to unlock a 400-year-old padlock found in a shipwreck.
Researchers say they now have the four-letter code that kept the mysterious lock — found among a hoard of silver coins — firmly shut for centuries.
The brass padlock had remained locked since the Ann Francis treasure hoard was found wrecked off the Welsh coast.
When returning from Spain, the ship was blown off course and caught in a ferocious storm in late December 1583.
It wrecked on Margam Beach near Port Talbot.
Part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
By Talker
The ship’s cargo remained hidden until discovered by metal detectorists and then acquired by Amgueddfa Cymru — Museum Wales.
With specialists from Cardiff University, museum experts used CT scanning technology to examine the lock’s internal mechanism without causing damage.
This scan is what allowed researchers to identify the correct letter combination: ANCE.
David Williams, a research associate based at the Muscoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering, said: “It’s not every day you get to solve a 400-year-old mystery!
“By creating a detailed 3D image of the internal mechanism, I could see how the notches lined up with the letters and identify the exact combination.
“We normally use this technology to study bones and other biological structures, so investigating a 400-year-old padlock was certainly a first for us.
“I had to wait until later that evening for the museum team to test the combination, so getting the message that we’d cracked it was incredibly satisfying.”
Part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
By Talker
The lock is believed to have secured a small chest containing items of significant value.
It was found near a collection of Spanish silver coins and close to two coin weights discovered at the wreck site.
Peter Hughes is a metal detectorist and found the hoard over a period of 21 years between 1996 and 2017.
After dredging and storms stripped away layers of sand from Margam Beach, the dazzling 16th-century collection was revealed.
Peter said: “When I found the lock I was immediately astonished by the incredible workmanship and its astonishing condition.
Part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
By Talker
“When I moved the ring dials of the combination they turned with ease after over 400 years beneath the sands and I was left in disbelief.
“I also remember being left excited at the prospect of finding wonderful things from the treasure chest it once locked.”
Senior curator for numismatics and the Welsh economy at Amgueddfa Cymru, Alastair Willis, commented: “Elizabethan combination locks are known in Britain, but this one is in exceptionally good condition and is associated with a dated wreck, making it a unique find and the code a tantalizing mystery to solve.
“Of course, now we’ve solved it, we are left wondering if the code meant something to its owner.”
Part of the Ann Francis treasure hoard. (Amgueddfa Cymru via SWNS)
Other highlights include rare gold coins dating from the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, together with a boatswain’s whistle recovered from the wreck.
It forms part of the National Waterfront Museum’s reimagining as a museum of the sea — telling the stories of Wales’ rich maritime heritage and its international connections.
The acquisition was possible due to support from the Welsh government.
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