Rick Lagina: We Found Gold & Silver On Oak Island in Season 12
Rick Lagina: We Found Gold & Silver On Oak Island in Season 12
The Thrilling Discovery on Oak Island: The Mystery Deepens
The mystery surrounding Oak Island has captivated treasure hunters and viewers alike for centuries. Now, a groundbreaking discovery has raised the stakes higher than ever. After years of hard work and dedication, the team led by Rick and Marty Lagina has finally found traces of gold and silver on Oak Island. But these findings have left the team with a new question: Are these pieces part of the legendary treasure hidden on the island, or do they belong to another hidden secret waiting to be uncovered? One thing is clear: Oak Island is about to change the lives of the Lagina brothers forever.
The Discovery of Gold and Silver
The crew’s efforts have paid off with the discovery of silver and gold on the island, signaling a major step forward in their decades-long quest to uncover the island’s long-lost treasure. Among the items found is a William III shilling, an antique silver coin that closely matches designs from the late 17th century. The coin, with its historical significance, gives the team an important clue: this treasure may be far older than they had originally thought. Furthermore, traces of lead, a metal commonly found with silver coins from this era, were found, deepening the mystery of what these discoveries could represent.
The most significant breakthrough came when the crew teamed up with Deas Contracting Limited to rebuild the 18th-century Old Garden Shaft. The shaft is believed to be the original deposit point for the treasure, and its excavation is a crucial step in unraveling the enigma of Oak Island. The crew was hopeful that this would lead them closer to the treasure. The team was not only focused on the shaft but also on a collapsed secret tunnel discovered beneath it. This tunnel runs westward, pointing toward the Baby Blob—a location previously tested and found to contain traces of gold, silver, and other valuable metals.
However, their exploration quickly turned disastrous when horizontal drilling, meant to help them locate the treasure, caused a leak of ocean water. This leak flooded the area, pushing the crew out of the tunnel and causing significant damage to their progress. Despite this setback, the team speculated that they had encountered one of the island’s many elaborate flood tunnel systems, designed to keep treasure hunters at bay. This unexpected challenge has only solidified the belief that the island’s treasure is real, and the ancient booby traps and flood systems are proof of the elaborate measures taken to protect it.
The Historical Significance of Lot 5
As the investigation continues, the team has shifted focus to Lot 5, a four-acre section of Oak Island that has yielded numerous historical artifacts. These discoveries range from ancient coins to iron tools, dating back as far as the 1200s, all of which are providing more insight into the island’s mysterious past. Among the most fascinating finds were Roman coins, suggesting a possible connection to ancient civilizations. The discovery of a barter token linked to the Knights Templar also raised eyebrows, pointing to a possible association with this legendary group. Furthermore, iron tools associated with Sir William Phips, an English politician from the 17th century, have surfaced, adding weight to theories that the treasure could be connected to English or Spanish sources.
The excavation of stone foundations in the area has also revealed structures that seem much larger and more complex than initially imagined. One is rectangular, while another is round, and both are positioned near the island’s shoreline. These structures, and the artifacts found nearby, suggest that the area was once a focal point for significant activity. This discovery has been dubbed the “Special Place,” where further excavation is being carried out in an archaeological manner that ensures the preservation of the context and integrity of the artifacts.
The team has noted the intentional design of the newer sections of the stone structure, which appears to span multiple generations. This suggests that the people who hid the treasure on Oak Island could have been working in this area for an extended period, carefully constructing both the structures and the treasure vaults hidden deep beneath the island.
New Discoveries in Lot 4
As if the discoveries in Lot 5 weren’t enough, the team also began searching Lot 4, an area that has proven to be fruitful in their quest. Using metal detectors, Gary and Peter have uncovered several intriguing artifacts from the shoreline. These include a 14th-century barter token and 17th-century tools, as well as materials that match substances found 100 feet deep in the Money Pit. The most exciting discovery in this area was a cut coin, likely of Spanish origin. This coin, which has been meticulously quartered, was commonly used during the 18th century by pirates and military forces to pay their crews.
The coin’s clean, deliberate cut suggests it was used in trade, possibly during the golden age of piracy when European nations like Spain, England, and France were colonizing the Americas. Pirates and military crews often cut coins to make smaller denominations for their trades, which adds another layer to the mystery of Oak Island’s hidden treasure.
The team brought the coin to the Oak Island lab, where further analysis confirmed that it was a shilling from the late 1600s. Initially, the team had hoped it might be linked to the Spanish treasure theory, but they were surprised to find it was an English shilling from the reign of William III. This coin, though not Spanish, suggests that the area might have been inhabited by English forces during the 1600s, possibly during failed attempts to recover treasure from the island’s Money Pit.
Theories and Speculations
The discovery of the English shilling has prompted the team to reconsider some of their theories. The possibility that the English military might have been involved in failed treasure recovery operations on Oak Island cannot be ruled out. Historian Doug Crowell points to a book titled Oak Island and Its Treasures, which details a covert operation by the English military to recover a treasure buried by Sir William Phips in the late 1600s. This book suggests that English allies attempted to retrieve the treasure multiple times but were unsuccessful. The shilling found on Oak Island could be evidence of one of these attempts.
Despite the challenges faced by the team, including the flood tunnels and the setbacks in their excavation efforts, the discovery of gold, silver, and a range of historical artifacts has only deepened their resolve. The team is now more convinced than ever that the treasure is still hidden on the island, and their discoveries in Lot 5, Lot 4, and beyond have only fueled the belief that the treasure’s location is closer than ever before.
Looking Forward
As the Lagina brothers and their team continue their quest, the sense that they are on the brink of solving one of the world’s greatest mysteries is palpable. With each new discovery, they are one step closer to uncovering the truth behind Oak Island’s hidden treasure. The significance of their findings has only grown, and with the latest revelations, the team’s excitement is at an all-time high. The next steps are crucial, and the answers may be just around the corner.
Will the team finally uncover the legendary treasure that has eluded treasure hunters for centuries? Only time will tell, but with the evidence they’ve gathered, the dream of solving the Oak Island mystery may soon become a reality.