About This Artifact
A gold-colored knob recovered on Oak Island and examined by rare coin expert Sandy Campbell, who suggested the piece may have come from a jewel chest. The knob was connected to a larger iron artifact recovered from Lot 13 near the eastern edge of the swamp during Season 8, which blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge identified as a double-bolted latch from a high-end security lock.
Carmen examined the latch at Northville Farm in Centreville, Nova Scotia, and concluded it was designed for a heavy chest or trunk rather than a simple traveler's bag. The double-bolt mechanism indicated a level of security associated with valuable contents, and the gold coloring of the knob suggested either gold plating or a gold-colored alloy intended to signal the quality of the container it was attached to. During Season 10, Gary Drayton recovered what he identified as a brass doorknob, possibly from a ship's cabinet, from spoils near the stone ramp in the swamp, adding to the inventory of hardware suggesting that chests, trunks, or fitted furniture had been present on the island.
The gold knob and security latch joined a pattern of chest-related artifacts found across Oak Island, including decorative iron hinges on Lots 12 and 25, a cross-shaped skeleton key from Fred Nolan's collection, an ornate lock plate with a rose design on Lot 8, and a chest hinge from 114 feet in the Money Pit's borehole 8-A. Together, these finds suggested that multiple locked containers had been brought to the island at various points in its history.
Historical Context
Lagina team; Sandy Campbell analysis
Where It Was Found
Found Along stone pathway, swamp — the triangle-shaped swamp on Oak Island's southeastern quadrant.
