Code of padlock from shipwreck cracked after more than four hundred years

Experts used CT scans to investigate a lock mechanism, revealing the correct letter combination to finally open it. The brass lock was discovered in 1999 by Peter Hughes on a beach in Port Talbot, part of a treasure from the ship Ann Francis, which sank in 1583. The lock was found near Spanish silver coins, suggesting it protected valuable items. Hughes spent twenty years trying to unlock it without success. The lock features four rings with six letters each, totaling 1,296 combinations. Researchers employed micro-CT scans to decipher the code, ultimately revealing the combination: ANCE, solving the mystery.