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Scientists have decoded the four‑letter combination of a 400‑year‑old lock that was recovered from a shipwreck near Welles Bay. The discovery, reported by BBC News, was made possible by computer tomography, which allowed researchers to examine the lock’s internal mechanism. The lock was first found in 1999 by treasure hunter Peter Hughes at Morfa Pool, close to Port Talbot. It was later identified as part of the Spanish ship Ann Francis, which had been caught in a storm on 28 December 1583. The ship’s cargo had lain buried under sand for centuries. Hughes recovered hundreds of artefacts, including Spanish silver coins and specially designed weighing stones. The lock may have protected these valuable items or sealed a chest containing documents, textiles and other objects. Hughes spent roughly twenty years attempting to determine the correct combination, but without success. Specialists from the Welles National Museum and Cardiff University scanned the lock with micro‑computer tomography and identified the code as ANCE. The lock features four rotating rings, each bearing six letters, yielding 1,296 possible combinations. Fixed letters at the ends of the lock added further complexity. Cardiff researcher David Williams said he was initially skeptical about the feasibility of cracking the code. “After several attempts we were able to see the lock’s internal structure and determine the combination,” Williams explained. According to museum curators, the lock is exceptionally well preserved and still functions as it did centuries ago. The collection of artefacts was transferred to the Welles National Museum in 2017 and has been on display since July 2026 at a museum on the seaside promenade in Sounsi. Article source: News.am | Image credit: News.am
Scientists have decoded the four‑letter combination of a 400‑year‑old lock that was recovered from a shipwreck near Welles Bay. The discovery, reported by BBC News, was made possible by computer tomography, which allowed researchers to examine the lock’s internal mechanism. The lock was first found in 1999 by treasure hunter Peter Hughes at Morfa Pool, close to Port Talbot. It was later identified as part of the Spanish ship Ann Francis, which had been caught in a storm on 28 December 1583. The ship’s cargo had lain buried under sand for centuries. Hughes recovered hundreds of artefacts, including Spanish silver coins and specially designed weighing stones. The lock may have protected these valuable items or sealed a chest containing documents, textiles and other objects. Hughes spent roughly twenty years attempting to determine the correct combination, but without success. Specialists from the Welles National Museum and Cardiff University scanned the lock with micro‑computer tomography and identified the code as ANCE. The lock features four rotating rings, each bearing six letters, yielding 1,296 possible combinations. Fixed letters at the ends of the lock added further complexity. Cardiff researcher David Williams said he was initially skeptical about the feasibility of cracking the code. “After several attempts we were able to see the lock’s internal structure and determine the combination,” Williams explained. According to museum curators, the lock is exceptionally well preserved and still functions as it did centuries ago. The collection of artefacts was transferred to the Welles National Museum in 2017 and has been on display since July 2026 at a museum on the seaside promenade in Sounsi.
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