Code cracked for shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery

Experts have cracked a four-letter code to open an ancient padlock from a shipwreck off the Welsh coast using modern scanning technology. The 400-year-old brass lock was discovered by metal detectorist Peter Hughes in the sand near Margam in Port Talbot, in 1999. It forms part of a wider treasure hoard from the Ann Francis ship that was caught in a storm on 28 December 1583 on the way back from Spain.

Its cargo was hidden beneath the sand for centuries. Museum experts have used CT scanning to examine the lock's internal mechanism, identify the correct letter combination and solve the mystery. Peter Hughes, from Maesteg, said the padlock was one of hundreds of artefacts he found after decades of searching on Morfa beach.

Found near a collection of Spanish silver coins and close to two coin weights, it is thought the lock may have protected these objects or secured a chest containing valuable items that did not survive, like documents or textiles. "It was by chance - a day off.