Researchers have cracked the four-letter secret code of a 400-year-old combination lock recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Wales. The discovery has solved a mystery surrounding the Ann Francis, a merchant ship that sank during a storm in 1583.
Experts from Cardiff University and Amgueddfa Cymru used advanced scanning technology to examine the brass lock without damaging it. They identified the combination “ANCE” and successfully opened the centuries-old object. However, what the lock once protected and whether the letters held a special meaning remain unknown.
Scans reveal secret of 400-year-old lock
Researchers used micro-computed tomography, or micro-CT scanning, to examine the lock’s internal mechanism. The technique uses X-rays to produce detailed three-dimensional images. Similar CT scanning technology has helped researchers examine ancient objects without breaking them open.
David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering, examined the lock using equipment normally used to study bones and biological structures. The scans revealed how internal notches aligned with letters on four rotating rings. Williams identified the correct sequence, which museum specialists then used to open the lock. The mechanism remained functional despite spending centuries buried beneath coastal sand.
Shipwreck carried hundreds of valuable coins
The Ann Francis was returning from Spain to England when a violent storm struck on Dec. 28, 1583. The ship drifted off course and wrecked on Margam Beach, near present-day Port Talbot. Between 1996 and 2017, metal detectorist Peter Hughes recovered hundreds of artifacts from the site, including the lock.
The collection contained about 870 gold and silver coins from Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Americas, according to Museum Wales. In another discovery, more than 400 gold coins helped researchers identify a 17th-century shipwreck off England.
Mystery remains over what the lock protected
Researchers found the lock near Spanish silver coins and two coin weights. They believe it may have secured a small chest containing money, documents, or other valuables. Museum records identify it as a Nuremberg lock. A similar example at the British Museum begins with the letters “MARCI,” raising questions about whether “ANCE” represents a name or a personal message.
Historical records identify the ship’s owner as Francis Shaxton, whose merchant family had links to smuggling. Court documents also describe disputes over the wreck’s cargo and mention three chests with broken locks. However, researchers cannot establish whether the recovered lock belonged to any of them.
Like other shipwreck discoveries that reveal evidence of historic maritime trade, the Ann Francis offers insight into the movement of goods and wealth across trading networks. The lock and other objects from the wreck are displayed at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea as part of its “Tides of Treasure” exhibition.
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