The Curse of Oak Island logo

Map What's Been Found on Oak Island

Treasure hunters have been intrigued by the legend of Oak Island for more than 200 years. Some believe one of the greatest treasures of all time is hidden on this mysterious Island off the coast of Nova Scotia—with theories ranging from Knights Templar gold to Captain Kidd pirate booty. Rick and Marty Lagina have spent countless hours digging over the years and have discovered some "top pocket finds." This interactive map lets you explore the what and where of their intriguing discoveries.

Lot 2: 1797 Cartwheel Penny

  • While searching Lot 2, Gary Drayton discovered a cartwheel penny with a depiction of King George III made in 1797.

Lot 8: Garnet Pin

  • Discovered while metal detecting on Lot 8, this gemstone brooch dates back as early as the 16th century and is considered the first piece of valuable treasure found by the Laginas and their team.

Lot 9: Keyhole

  • This decorative keyhole plate was found during a metal detection excursion on a lot owned by Tom Nolan, the son of Fred Nolan.
  • Nolan believed that treasure had been recovered in at least eleven shallow sites around Oak Island.
  • Could this keyhole be a part of a chest similar to Captain Anderson's sea chest?
  • Lot 16: 17th Century Britannia Coin

    • Gary Drayton found these two King Charles II Brtiannia coins from the 17th century.
    • They were minted in the 1600s, which is more than 100 years before the first discovery of the Money Pit in 1795.

    Lot 21: French Military Cap Badge

    • A French military cap badge found on Lot 21 might be from a French grenadier's hat from the 1700s.
    • 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.

    Lot 21: Decorative Lead Piece

    • This artifact was unearthed near the site of Daniel McGinnis' old home on Lot 21.
    • Its design suggests an ancient metalwork technique called cloisonne.
    • This object has an identical lead isotope of the Lead Cross, which means both come from the pre-15th century ore deposits.

    Lot 21: Gold Plated Brooch

    • The first confirmed gold found on Oak Island, this brooch dates back as early as the 14th century.
    • It continues to be a mystery if this brooch is a piece of buried treasure or was once the property of a resident.

    Lot 24: Samuel Ball's Slave Tag

    • The discovery of a tag with the name Ball engraved in it might have belonged to Samuel Ball, a freed American enslaved person who became one of Nova Scotia's wealthiest land owners.
    • Is it possible Ball found of the treasure?

    Lot 26: Roman Pilum

    • Found during a metal detection search, this pilum was discovered on Lot 26—once the home of 18th century privateer, Captain James Anderson.
    • Testing showed that the shaft is made of iron mixed with manganese and could date back to the Ancient Roman Empire Century, BC-500 AD.

    Swamp: Spanish Galleon Spike

    • This wrought iron spike dating from the late 1600s to the early 1700s would have been used to nail down decking boards of the Spanish Galleon.
    • This discovery could be another clue that a Spanish Galleon and its treasure could be sunk in the Oak Island swamp.

    Swamp: 1652 Spanish Maravedi

    Discovered in the swamp during the first season by the Laginas and their team, this copper coin from 1652 suggests that there was activity on Oak Island long before the 1795 discovery of the Money Pit.

    GAL-1: Gold Plated Button

    • Gary Drayton's discovery of a gold-plated military officer's button joins other military finds as evidence that Oak Island's subterranean structures and anomalies could be the work of 18th-century British military.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole C-1: Gold Shiny Object

    • An underground camera captured video footage of a mysterious shiny object that could be gold
    • Divers were unable to locate and identify the object and it still remains a mystery.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole H-1: Parchment

    • Found 160 feet underground, this parchment and leather bookbinding could be clues that support a theory that William Shakespeare's original manuscripts could be buried in the Money Pit.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole H-1: Leather Bookbinding

    • Leather bookbinding was found 160 feet underground along with bits of parchment.
    • This could be a clue that supports a theory that Sir Francis Bacon once visited the island to bury William Shakespeare's original manuscripts.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole H-1: Purple Wood

    • A shard of purple-stained wood was discovered in the same borehole as vegetable-tanned leather bookbinding and scraps of parchment.
    • The wood's color resembles Tyrian blue, a dye used by royalty and church documents.
    • It's likely the wood was stained a vegetable dye and may be a fragment of bookbinding that the parchment was once part of.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole H-1: Human Bone

    • Samples of human bone dating back to the 17th century were found during a dig in the Money Pit.
    • DNA testing shows that these bones came from two individuals, one of European descent and one of Middle Eastern descent.

    Money Pit/Bore Hole H-1: Pearlware Pottery

    • Shards of pottery were discovered at an astounding 192 feet underground.
    • No other human-made object has been recovered on Oak Island at that depth.
    • The imitation Chinese porcelain on these hand-painted pearlware pottery fragments suggest that they originate from Staffordshire, England from 1700-1800.

    Smith Cove: Coconut Fiber

    • Dating back to 1260-1400, coconut fibers were first discovered in Smith's Cove in 1850 along with five stone box drains that were meant to booby trap the Money Pit by filling it with water.
    • The drains were covered by coconut fibers and eelgrass to filter sand and debris that could clog the drains.
    • Discovery of these fibers suggests that box drains exist.

    Smith Cove: Lead Cross

    • Considered one of the biggest finds, this lead cross was discovered at Smith's Cove.
    • Testing showed that the material in the lead is from Southern France and dates back to the 1300s or 1400s.
    • This artifact supports the theory that the Knights Templar may have been on the island.

    Smith Cove: French Drains

    • This human-made drainage system implements an ancient method of rock placement that controls water flow without pumps or pipes.

    Smith Cove: Hinge

    • Gary Drayton discovered a wrought iron hinge that is similar to the decorative hinges discovered on Fred Nolan's property.
    • Tests conclude that it dates between the early 1600s to 1700s and could be a hinge meant for a very thick door.
    • Could it be a hinge to a treasure chest?

    Smith Cove: U-Shaped Structure

    • In 1970, a U-Shaped structure was discovered by treasure hunter Dan Blankenship after creating a cofferdam around Smith's Cove.
    • The structure has a notch in it every four feet and features a different Roman number.
    • Dendrochronology dated the wood structure to 1769.

    Smith Cove: Slipway

    • The discovery of beams dates back to 1771—two decades before the first discovery of the Money Pit. This suggests there was activity in Smith's Cove earlier than first thought.
    • Tests reveal the wood beams predate the discovery of the Money Pit by more than two decades.
    • Who built this slipway and why?

    Smith Cove: Box Drain

    • A possible entrance to one of the five stone box drains was discovered at Smith's Cove.
    • These drains were first discovered in 1850 by the Truro Company and may have fed into one tunnel meant to fill the Money Pit with water as a booby trap.

    Other Finds Not on the Map

    The Stone Wharf in the Swamp

    This stone wharf, which was determined to be at least 300 years old, was unearthed in Season 8 and provides further evidence that the Oak Island swamp is a man-made feature.

    The Stone Pathway

    As the team uncovered more and more of this stone feature in Season 8, they realized it was leading them away from the swamp—into the uplands and straight towards the Money Pit.

    The Paved Area

    After draining the swamp and conducting a massive excavation to investigate the theory long-held by the late Fred Nolan that the swamp was man-made, the Fellowship uncovered this massive stone feature that dated to 1200 A.D.

    The Ship’s Railing

    While digging near the southern border of the triangle-shaped swamp during Season 8, the Fellowship discovered this piece of wooden ship’s railing that dated from 660 to 770 A.D., making it the oldest artifact ever found on Oak Island to that point.

    The Chinese Cash Coin

    While metal detecting on Lot 15 between the Swamp and Money Pit, Gary Drayton and Jack Begley made this find that could be as much as 1300 years old or older.

    Silver in the Money Pit

    In Season 8, water sampling tests conducted in numerous boreholes in the Money Pit provided scientific proof that a “dump-truck-load” of silver lies buried deep below the spot that started the mystery more than two centuries ago.

    The Iron Swages

    While metal detecting on Lot 21 in 2019, Gary Drayton and Dan Henskee unearthed two iron objects that blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge believes to be swages or tunneling tools used to sharpen rock drills.

    The Lead Bag Seal

    While metal detecting on Lot 32, Gary Drayton and David Fornetti discovered this lead, cloth, bag seal with possible Templar origins indicated by the mysterious markings found on its face.

    19th Century British Naval Officer’s Button

    While investigating near the foundation of Samual Ball’s former home on Lot 25, Alex Lagina spotted what the team believes is a British naval officer's button from around 1804 to 1825. But what would a British naval officer be doing visiting the home of a simple cabbage farmer?

    15th Century Wooden Cargo Barrels

    While investigating the massive stone wharf feature in the swamp, Rick Lagina found pieces of a wooden cargo barrel that dated to as early as the 15th century. Might it have been part of a barrel that once contained a portion of the Oak Island treasure?

    The Leather Boot Heel

    Found in the spoils of borehole 8-B in the Money Pit, this leather boot heel dated to as early as 1492 and is believed to have come from the boot of a very prominent individual.

    The Gold Colored Knob

    Found along the stone pathway in the swamp, Oak Island artifact conservator Sandy Campbell believes this gold-colored knob to be far from modern and possibly from a jewel chest.

    The Trade Weight

    While investigating the stone wharf in the swamp, Rick Lagina and Doug Crowell discovered this ancient trade weight, which was traditionally used to measure and distribute precious metals.