1700s MYSTERIOUS Button Discovered in Stone—Cursed Treasure Clue? | The Curse of Oak Island

Two to three times its original appearance, it’s still not completely exposed.
And to do it properly, you have to have a lot of patience, and that’s fine.
Something about Oak Island keeps pulling people back.
It’s not just the buried treasure stories or the centuries-old legends.
It’s the real physical clues that keep showing up.

Lot five is one of the most mysterious spots on the island, tucked away on the western side.
It’s a place that’s been overlooked for years, but now it’s giving up secrets that could change everything.
This patch of land has already turned up artifacts older than the search itself: trade beads from the 1600s, tools that might be linked to Sir William Phips, even pieces of a strange stone foundation buried deep in the ground.
And now, a new discovery has everyone’s attention: a delicate button hidden inside the very rocks.

Re-cleaner Gary Dron, archaeologist Fiona Steel, and the rest of the team are back at it, determined to figure out what’s really going on.
Why was this button sealed inside stone?
Who left it there, and could it be connected to the legendary treasure of Oak Island?

The discovery begins with a metal detection breakthrough.
A metal detector’s beep could mean a lot of things.
It could be another rusty nail, a stray piece of iron, or if luck is on your side, something far more valuable.
On Oak Island, those beeps have led to some of the most important discoveries ever made, and this time, it’s happening on Lot Five.

A place that’s already turned up artifacts from centuries past.
Standing over the mysterious stone structure, Gary Dron swings his detector back and forth, his trained ears tuned to every little signal.
At first, it’s nothing surprising: iron, a lot of it—the kind of stuff you expect in a structure like this.
There’s iron all over in this one, Gary mutters, his detector lighting up in different spots along the stones.

Rick Lag watches closely, knowing that every piece of iron could be part of a much bigger story.
But then something different—a sharper, clearer tone.
Not iron, not the usual scrap metal.
Gary stops, the team goes quiet, checks again.
Again, the same result—non-ferrous metal.

Now, that’s a game-changer.
Non-ferrous metals don’t rust; they include copper, brass, silver, and gold—the kind of materials that don’t just show up in the dirt by accident.
The kind of materials that might have been hidden here on purpose.

Rick steps in.
“What are we looking at, Gary?”
Gary’s eyes light up.
“There are only three metals that really make this sound,” he says: “copper, lead, or gold.”
The word “gold” hangs in the air for a second.
No one wants to say it too soon, but everyone’s thinking it—could this be part of the long-rumored treasure that’s kept people digging on this island for over 200 years?

Fiona Steel, the team’s archaeologist, steps forward.
“We need to be careful,” she warns.
“If there’s something important buried in there, we don’t want to damage it.”

That’s the tricky part.
Metal detection is the easy step.
Now comes the slow, careful excavation.
This isn’t the kind of thing where you grab a shovel and start digging.
Every bit of soil, every rock, every layer has to be removed methodically.

If this structure really was used to hide something, then how it was buried is just as important as what’s inside.
The team moves in.
They begin the painstaking process of uncovering whatever is setting off the detector.
Inch by inch, they scrape away at the earth, following the signal.
The deeper they go, the more they realize the metal isn’t just buried in the dirt—it’s inside the wall itself.

Gary leans in, checking his detector again.
“This thing is wedged in here real good,” he says.
“Whoever put it here didn’t want it found easily.”

Now, the speculation begins.
If this object was placed inside the stonework, it means someone deliberately sealed it away.
But we know that Lot 5 has already produced artifacts dating back to the 1600s.
Could this be another piece of the puzzle?

The iron tools found nearby were linked to Sir William Phips, the English sea captain believed to have hidden Spanish silver and gold on the island.
Could this non-ferrous object be connected?

As the team digs deeper, anticipation builds.
They’re inches away from finding out exactly what’s been locked away inside these stones for centuries.
What is it?
Who put it there?
And most importantly, why?

Uncovering the hidden treasure, an ornate button emerges.
The deeper they dig, the more the mystery grows.

Lot 5 has already given up clues from the past: iron tools, trade beads, even signs of an old structure.
But this is different.
This isn’t just another piece of debris buried in the dirt.
This was deliberately placed inside the stonework.

Someone sealed it here, and now, for the first time in centuries, it’s about to see the light of day.
Jack Begley is the first to notice it.
As he gently brushes away the packed soil, something small, round, and metallic peaks through.
It’s not another nail, not a coin.
He carefully lifts it out and blows off the dirt.

A button, but not just any button.
It’s ornate, with a raised outer rim and an intricate pattern pressed into its surface.
At first glance, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s on it, but one thing is clear: it was made with care.
This isn’t a crude, everyday button from a common worker’s coat.
This is something else—something that belonged to someone important.

Jack hands it over to Laird, the team’s archaeologist.
He turns it over in his hand, studying the craftsmanship.
“That’s a pretty big eye on the back,” he notes, pointing to the loop where it would have been sewn onto fabric.
“That tells us something—the bigger the loop, the more durable the button.
This was meant to be fastened to something heavier, maybe a jacket.”

Craig Tester leans in.
“Is there a design on it?”
Laird squints, tilting it under the sunlight.
There is.

At first, it’s just faint lines beneath layers of corrosion, but after a bit more cleaning, a pattern starts to appear.
“Looks floral,” Jack says, studying the surface.
“Yeah, like a blooming flower,” Laird agrees.

Gary Dron, the metal detection expert, lets out a whistle.
“That’s got an English look to it.”
And just like that, the questions start rolling in:
Who wore this?
How did it end up here?
And why was it hidden inside the stonework?

Fiona Steel, the team’s lead archaeologist, examines the corrosion from the greenish tint.
“That’s copper alloy,” she says.
“It’s definitely old.”

“How old?” Rickina asks.
“1700s, maybe even late 1600s,” Gary answers.
“I’ve seen buttons like this before, and they usually date to that period.”

Now things get even more interesting.
If this button really is from the late 1600s, that means it lines up with one of the most talked-about theories on Oak Island: the story of Sir William Phips.

Phips, a British captain turned governor, is said to have recovered a fortune in Spanish silver from a sunken galleon in 1687.
But according to some historians, he didn’t return all of it.
Some believe a portion of that treasure was smuggled out and hidden, possibly on Oak Island.

Could this button be connected to one of the men who helped hide that wealth?
Jack turns it over in his hand.
“If it was just dropped here, that’s one thing,” he says, “but it was inside the stones.
Someone put it there.”

The team agrees—this wasn’t lost.
It was left behind on purpose.
But why?

To mark a clue?
A part of someone’s uniform?
Or could it have belonged to someone guarding a hidden cache?

One thing’s for sure: this button is not just another random artifact.
It’s a link to the past, and the more they study it, the more they realize it might just be a key to something even bigger.

Scientific Analysis

To determine the true age and origin of the button, the team takes it to the Oak Island lab, where archaeometallurgist Holigan begins a detailed analysis.
While initial observations suggest a 1700s copper alloy button, scientific testing is needed to confirm its composition and possible historical significance.

The primary tool for this examination is x-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning.
This technology allows researchers to analyze the elemental composition of the button without causing any damage.
By emitting high-energy x-rays onto the surface, the machine can detect and identify the materials present, offering clues about the button’s manufacturing process and potential time period.

As the team gathers in the lab, Emma carefully places the button inside the XRF scanner.
Within minutes, a breakdown of the button’s metal content appears on the screen.
The results indicate a high concentration of copper with traces of zinc and tin—composition typical of brass used in the late 1600s to early 1700s.

Craig Tester reviews the findings.
“This confirms that it’s an older alloy,” he says.
“The specific mixture of metals aligns with European button-making techniques from the late 17th century.”

Laird, the team’s archaeologist, adds, “This matches buttons found in British military and naval contexts during the time period.”
“If this was standard issue for someone in a specific role, it could help us identify its owner.”

Examining the button’s design, beyond its material composition, the button’s engraved pattern is another critical piece of evidence.
Over the years, corrosion and environmental exposure have obscured much of its original detail.
However, the XRF scan reveals fine engravings beneath the surface, which were previously undetectable.

Emma enhances the scanned image, and the team can now see a delicate floral design with symmetrical patterns.
While decorative, these patterns were often linked to specific military regiments, merchant guilds, or social ranks.

Laird examines the image closely.
“This is not a random decorative piece,” he says.
“The detail suggests it was made for someone of importance.”

Gary, the team’s metal detection expert, agrees.
“It’s too refined to be from an everyday work garment.
This looks like a jacket button—possibly from a naval or military uniform.”

Linking the Button to Sir William Phips

If the button indeed dates to the late 1600s or early 1700s, it aligns with one of the most debated theories regarding Oak Island’s history—the involvement of Sir William Phips.

Phips, a British captain and later the governor of Massachusetts, is well documented for leading an expedition in 1687 to recover treasure from the wreck of the Spanish galleon Conception near the Dominican Republic.
His crew salvaged a vast amount of silver and gold, but historical records suggest that not all of the recovered treasure made it back to England.

Some believe a portion of it was secretly transported elsewhere, possibly to Oak Island.
If true, it would mean that Oak Island’s legend of buried riches is not just folklore—it could be directly tied to the missing Spanish treasure of the Conception.

The button found on Lot Five could be a tangible link to this theory.
Its estimated age fits perfectly within the time frame of Phips’ treasure expedition.
It was found sealed within a stone structure, which suggests it was not accidentally dropped but intentionally placed there.

If the button can be definitively linked to a member of Phips’ expedition, it would provide strong evidence that Oak Island was used as a storage or hiding place for valuables.

The fact that other artifacts, such as iron tools, have been found on Lot 5 and linked to the same time period further strengthens the possibility that this location played a role in Phips’ treasure story.

The idea that Oak Island was used as a cover site by Freemasons and treasure smugglers is gaining more credibility with each new discovery.
The team now has more motivation than ever to continue excavating Lot Five, following the clues left behind by those who came centuries before.

If this button is connected to the men who handled the missing treasure of Conception, then Oak Island may still hold secrets that have yet to be uncovered.

The discovery of the 1700s button on Lot Five is more than just an artifact.
It could be a key piece of evidence linking Oak Island to Sir William Phips, Captain Andrew Willer, and the missing Conception treasure.

With its intricate design, historical significance, and unexpected placement within the stone structure, this find raises more questions than ever.
Is this proof of hidden wealth?
Could more artifacts or even treasure still be buried?

The search continues, and every clue brings the team closer to the truth.