Experts crack code on 16th century shipwreck lock

Specialists from the National Museum of Wales and Cardiff University successfully unlocked a brass mechanism found on a beach in Wales.

The lock belonged to the Ann Francis, an English merchant ship that wrecked off the Welsh coast on December 28, 1583. Peter Hughes, a metal detector hobbyist, found the lock on a beach 21 years ago.

Between 1996 and 2017, Hughes discovered more than 800 coins and the lock itself, which remained in remarkably good condition despite being buried for 400 years. Hughes spent approximately 20 years trying to manually rotate the letter discs to find the correct combination. The researchers used modern technology to help Hughes solve the puzzle. The successful combination revealed the name ANCE, which sounds like a Latvian woman's name.

This discovery allows experts to better study the cargo and history of the Ann Francis.