Oak Island Mystery Solved? Rick and Marty Lagina’s Team Makes Their Biggest Discovery Ever!

This one find could finally bring an end to Oak Island’s 200-year mystery.
It wasn’t uncovered where anyone expected.
It wasn’t found at a depth anyone thought possible.
And it ties straight back to the money pit.

Instead of celebrating, the team did the opposite.
They stopped.

Because this discovery doesn’t just add another clue.
It forces a rethink of who built the money pit, when it was constructed, and why it exists at all.

For more than two centuries, Oak Island has humbled explorers, engineers, and treasure hunters alike.
Every breakthrough has sparked excitement only to lead to another dead end.
But this time feels different.

Subscribe now because the final answer to Oak Island’s puzzle may be closer than anyone imagined.
Let’s break it down.

It started with silver in the soil.
Dirt from a dig the year before had been dumped on lot 5, close to that strange circular stone feature near the shoreline.
Over 10 truckloads of material were moved there as the team tried to understand what that structure even was.
Some believe it’s far older than previously assumed.

Artifacts from completely different eras.
14th century tokens, 17th century tools, fragments of ancient mortar were all turning up together.
That kind of mix doesn’t happen by accident.

But the real shock came from the very bottom of that pile.
Fiona Steel and Peter Fornetti were carefully scanning the area, detectors sweeping back and forth when the signals suddenly spiked, strong and unmistakable.
Something was there.

They dug carefully, checked again with a pinpointer, and Fiona pulled out what looked like part of a coin.
Not cracked, not worn away.
It had been deliberately cut, clean, and precise, like someone intended it to be split.

Back in the past, silver coins were often chopped into pieces to make smaller change.
This fragment fit that pattern perfectly, heavy, bright, and unmistakably silver.

At first, the team wondered if it might be Spanish, possibly tied to pirates, soldiers, or early traders who once moved through these waters.
They secured it immediately and sent it for expert analysis.

At the lab, archaeologist Leair Nan and metal specialist Emma Culligan took over.
Emma began with surface scans which showed the familiar reflective qualities of silver, though years underground had left the surface rough and scratched.
Then she moved to elemental testing.

The results were clear.
Silver with trace amounts of lead.

But there was more.
Faint lettering began to appear.
G V L Y along with a tiny symbol resembling paired triangles.

Digging deeper, Emma made a critical identification.
This wasn’t Spanish at all.
It was English, specifically a William III shilling from the 1690s, earlier than many expected.

That changed everything.

This wasn’t pirate loot or random debris.
It suggested organized activity on lot 5 decades before the commonly accepted timeline.
Soldiers, workers, payments, or something far more secretive.

There had long been theories that British troops were involved in covert operations on the island.
Some researchers even claimed that after William Fipps recovered treasure from a sunken ship, portions of it may have been hidden on Oak Island and later lost when attempts to retrieve it failed.
This coin suddenly made that idea feel a lot less far-fetched.

If British forces were stationed there, digging, building, and being paid with silver, brought from home, it would explain how a cut English shilling ended up buried beside a stone structure that seemingly doesn’t belong in that location or that era.

The excitement spread fast.
Rick Lagginina, Marty Lagginina, Craig Tester, everyone wanted answers.
Was this just a lost coin or the first solid link to something much larger still buried underground?

Because one coin is never just one coin.

Further analysis confirmed the match.
The size, markings, design elements, and clean cut all align perfectly with a William III shilling.
Combined with the other 17th century artifacts already found on lot 5, the timeline wasn’t shifting by a few years.
It was moving back by decades.

No one claimed this was the treasure itself.
It wasn’t gold or jewels, but it was a signal and signals accumulate.

A coin here, tools there, a precisely built foundation unlike anything else nearby.
Mortar matching samples taken from deep inside the money pit and near the stone cross.

Individually they raise questions.
Together they tell a story or at least hint at one.

More scans were planned.
Longer tests, deeper analysis.
The team wanted every possible detail.
Engraving fragments, symbols, anything that could explain who brought that coin there and why.

They knew what it was and where it came from.
Now they needed to understand its purpose.

So they went back.
Same location, more soil to sift, more ground to scan.

Because if one quartered coin made it into that pile, others might still be waiting.
And if coins were being cut for use, a full one could still be buried nearby.

For now, all attention stayed on lot five.
The unusual stone feature, the early tools, the mortar that shouldn’t be there.
The patterns were becoming harder to ignore.

Additional scans revealed clearer shapes, a tied ponytail, ribbon-like triangles, decorative elements that matched historical drawings of William III coinage.
This wasn’t speculation anymore.

The cut was intentional, clean, purposeful.

In the 1600s, silver meant value.
Cutting a coin wasn’t random.
It reflected urgency, trade, or movement.

Maybe someone needed quick change.
Maybe a deal was happening fast.
Or maybe someone was trying to disappear.

And if that coin was dropped near that stone structure, then the structure itself suddenly mattered a lot more.

Some believed it was just a foundation.
Others argued it was too exact, too carefully constructed.
Mortar traced back to deep money pit layers had appeared in its seams.

Add to that 17th century iron tools long before official settlement records, and the picture became unsettling.
Someone was there earlier than history admits, and they were building something.

Emma’s extended scans revealed even more subtle details.
Scratches, shapes, composition consistent with late 17th century English currency.
This coin hadn’t simply rested in the dirt.
It was part of it, buried deep, only recovered because earlier excavations moved soil from its original resting place.

Those spoil piles didn’t just hold rocks.
They held centuries.

Now the search shifts again.
Big equipment, bigger expectations.

The team is chasing what they believe could be shaft 2, a wooden structure first documented in 1805, reportedly just 14 ft from where the legendary money pit should be.
14 ft from the truth.

If they can locate it and confirm it’s authentic, they could be standing directly on the trail that leads to the gold.
There are no promises, only risk.
That’s the gamble they’re willing to take.

What they’re after now isn’t treasure itself, but something just as important.
Massive ancient timbers buried far below the surface.

And not just any wood.
They’re looking for beams with visible growth rings, the kind that allows scientists to pinpoint the exact year a tree was cut down.

That’s the strategy.
Find a beam, date it, and hope the results land in the early 1800s.

If they do, it could mean they’re finally closing in on something real.

Almost immediately, the excavator begins chewing through rock and compacted soil, digging deep enough to strike resistance.
Then, suddenly, it happens.

A large piece of wood breaks free from the side wall.
Long, dense, flat-edged.

It could be part of a shaft wall, or it could be nothing.
But it looks promising.

The crew pulls it out, clears the dirt away, and takes a closer look.
The edges are thick and rounded, possibly even showing the outer curve of the tree itself.

That’s exactly what they want for testing.

Still, one beam proves nothing.
They need more evidence.

Digging resumes.
Minutes stretch into tense waiting.

Then someone notices something darker in the soil.
Much darker.

The kind of wood you don’t see often.
Aged, weathered, possibly centuries old.

A mirror is lowered into the shaft so they can see inside.
It’s tight.

The hole is more than 40 ft deep, nearly straight down with walls that give no margin for error.
The machine operators are working almost blind, lowering the bucket and hoping it catches something without destroying it.

After several careful attempts, another massive timber comes up.
This one is enormous.

Thick, solid, cleanly shaped.
And then comes the surprise.

No nails.
No metal at all.

That detail matters.
It suggests an older construction method, possibly from a time before mass-produced fasteners when structures were built with tight joints instead of spikes.

Then everything stops.

The metal detector suddenly goes off.
Right there, emerging from the dirt, is an iron spike.

But not a modern one.
It’s a rose head spike.

The kind forged by hand by blacksmiths in the 1700s and early 1800s.
Rough, hammered, topped with a flower-shaped head.

That single piece of metal could be the confirmation they need.
Old wood, hand-forged spike, correct depth, correct location.

Still no treasure.
But now they have something solid.

Back inside the shaft, more dark planks appear, stacked in layers.
That suggests the shaft may have been rebuilt at some point, possibly after a collapse that would explain the mix of wood colors and conditions.

Each piece tells a slightly different chapter of the story.

The best samples are carefully boxed and sent for analysis.
The goal is clear.

Date the wood to around 1805.

If the results match, they may have finally located the first major search shaft ever dug on Oak Island.
And if that’s true, the original money pit could be just 14 ft away.

14 ft.

That’s closer than anyone has ever been.

It’s not gold, but it’s the best marker they could hope for.
Find shaft 2, and everything else might fall into place.

The work continues.
Radios crackle as the team guides the excavator inch by inch, trying to scrape the shaft wall without shattering the beams.

More timbers emerge.
Some lighter, some nearly black from age, moisture, or both.

One massive beam slips from the bucket and drops back into the hole.
Retrieving it isn’t easy.

The operator guesses, adjusts, tries again, and finally gets it out.
The beam is enormous.

Over 10 in wide, heavy, and unmistakably old.
Again, no nails.

A metal detector sweep confirms it.
Nothing.

That could mean this timber comes from deeper down, untouched by later repairs.
Possibly part of the original construction.

More evidence appears.
Another beam half buried, darker than the last, carefully freed.

Clean edges.
Same build style.

Every piece is measured, photographed, and examined.
They’re trying to reconstruct the shaft, its size, shape, and orientation, then compare it to historical maps and early excavation records.

According to those records, shaft 2 should be located roughly 14 ft southeast of the money pit.
If the current dig aligns with that data, every timber pulled from the ground brings them one step closer to the real target.

Oak Island has obsessed treasure hunters for over 200 years.
Historians, engineers, and conspiracy theorists alike have all asked the same question.

What is buried beneath this island?

Generations have chased rumors of immense riches hidden below, drawn in by the legend of the money pit.

And now, after decades of drilling, digging, and disappointment, something extraordinary has surfaced.
Something powerful enough to challenge everything we thought we knew.

In a stunning breakthrough, the team uncovered a gold-plated coin unlike any previously found on the island.
Buried beneath the sands of Smith’s Cove, it isn’t just another artifact.

It could be a key.

And that wasn’t the only surprise.

Beneath layers of soil and centuries of debris, they also revealed a carefully built wooden structure, remarkably preserved.
Some believe it could be an ancient slipway or wharf.

If so, why was it built there?
Who constructed it?
And what were they loading or hiding?

At the center of this pursuit are Rick and Marty Lagginina.
Not driven by greed, but by a belief that Oak Island holds answers worth uncovering.

With advanced technology and deep historical research, their team may be closer than ever to rewriting the island’s story.

These discoveries aren’t just exciting.
They’re potentially game-changing.

Could this finally be the moment Oak Island gives up its secret?
Are these finds connected to the legendary treasure or something even more significant?

The story began back in 1795 when a young man named Daniel McGinness noticed a strange depression in the ground.
Along with his friends John Smith and Anthony Vaughn, he dug into the site and discovered layers of oak logs placed at regular intervals.

Clear evidence of an engineered shaft.
The money pit legend was born.

Over time, reports of inscribed stones, flood tunnels, coconut fiber buried deep underground, and complex booby traps only fueled the mystery.

Coconuts don’t grow in Nova Scotia.
So how did that fiber get there?

Why go to such lengths unless something valuable was being protected?

Some believe the pit was designed as a vault.
Others think it was meant to hide knowledge, not gold.

Whatever the truth, Oak Island has consumed entire expeditions, swallowed machinery, and defied logic for generations.

And now, with the discovery of the gold-plated coin at Smith’s Cove, the island may be speaking again.

When Gary Drayton’s detector lit up, no one expected what followed.
The coin, aged, gilded, and intricately designed, suggested European origins, possibly from the 1700s or earlier.

Found beneath man-made structures and heavy timbers, it raised immediate questions.
Was it dropped?
Hidden?
Part of a larger cache?

No definitive answers yet.
But its presence confirms intent.
Planning.
Purpose.

For the Lagginina brothers, it’s proof that Oak Island still has secrets left to reveal.

Because early accounts describe shaft 2 as a support shaft.
Possibly dug to reach the money pit from the side.
Or to drain water.
Or even to access something without disturbing the main vault.

If that’s true, then the builders understood engineering far beyond what casual treasure hunters possessed in the early 1800s.

The darker timbers raise even bigger questions.
That kind of darkness doesn’t come from a few decades underground.

It suggests extreme age, constant moisture, or both.

Some experts believe those beams could predate the official discovery of the money pit altogether.
If confirmed, it would mean organized activity on Oak Island long before 1795.

That possibility sends chills through the team.

Because it would mean the story everyone knows, the boy, the pulley, the oak logs, might only be the surface layer of something far older.

As the excavation continues, subtle details stand out.
Tool marks carved by hand.
Flat surfaces smoothed without modern blades.
Joints that fit together so tightly they don’t require nails.

Each feature points to craftsmanship, not haste.

Whoever built this shaft knew exactly what they were doing.
And expected it to remain hidden.

At one point, the crew pauses as another beam is lifted free.
This one shows distinct growth rings clearly visible even through centuries of wear.

It’s exactly the type of sample dendrochronologists hope for.

With it, scientists can match ring patterns to known regional timelines and identify the precise year, and sometimes even the season, the tree was felled.

That date could be everything.

If the wood dates to the early 1800s, it supports the theory of shaft 2.
If it dates earlier, it opens an entirely new chapter.

One that could rewrite Oak Island history from the ground up.

The waiting is brutal.
Results don’t come instantly.

While samples are prepared and shipped, the team continues digging, documenting, and debating.
Every new find sparks fresh theories.

Was this shaft abandoned?
Was it sealed intentionally?
Did it fail?
Or did it succeed?

Some believe the shaft collapsed and was intentionally backfilled to erase evidence.
Others think it was sacrificed.

Used once.
Then buried to protect whatever lay beyond.

That would explain the layered construction and mixed materials.

And then there’s the location.
14 ft.

That number keeps coming up again and again.

14 ft southeast of the money pit.
14 ft between failure and success.
14 ft between legend and proof.

In treasure hunting terms, that distance is nothing.
But in Oak Island terms, it’s everything.

Because no one has ever reached that close with this level of evidence.

As daylight fades, the site takes on a different feel.
The machine is quiet.
The pit looms dark and still.

It’s moments like this that remind the team how many others stood here before them.

Men who dreamed big.
Dug deep.
And left empty-handed.

Some lost fortunes.
Some lost lives.

Yet the island remains.

The gold-plated coin.
The stone structures.
The slipway.
The shafts.

They all point to one undeniable truth.

Oak Island was used purposefully.
Repeatedly.
By people with resources, knowledge, and something to protect.

And that raises the ultimate question.

If all of this effort wasn’t for gold, then what was it for?

Manuscripts.
Religious artifacts.
Political secrets.
Lost technology.

Or something so valuable it demanded layers of misdirection, traps, and engineered failure.

The Lagginina brothers don’t claim to know the answer.
What drives them isn’t certainty.

It’s evidence.

And for the first time, the evidence is lining up.

Wood where wood shouldn’t be.
Metal forged by hand.
Coins carried across oceans.
Structures hidden beneath tidal zones.
Engineering solutions centuries ahead of their time.

This isn’t coincidence.

It’s design.

As test results approach, the pressure builds.
A single date could validate years of work.
Or force the team back to the drawing board.

But even failure would still be progress.
Because every confirmed fact narrows the possibilities.

And Oak Island has always been about eliminating myths to reveal truth.

Whatever lies beneath may not match the legends told for generations.
It may not be chests of gold or piles of jewels.

But it will be something real.
Something human.
Something intentional.

And that, in many ways, is more valuable than treasure.

Because when Oak Island finally gives up its secret, it won’t just answer one question.

It will answer hundreds.

Who came here?
When did they arrive?
Why did they build this?
And what were they willing to do to keep it hidden?

The ground is closer than ever to answering back.
And this story is far from over.

Stay tuned.
Like, comment, and subscribe.
Because the next discovery could change everything.