A Roman Coin on Oak Island? New Discovery Pushes the Mystery Deeper Than Ever
A new day has dawned on Oak Island, and with it comes one of the most striking discoveries of Season 13. Inside the research lab, Rick and Marty Lagina gather with members of their team to examine an artifact uncovered just days earlier — an object that may challenge everything we know about the island’s past.
A Stunning Find on Lot 5
During a routine search on Lot 5, Marty and Katya Drayton uncovered a small but intriguing coin. The design appeared unusual, prompting the team to run it through advanced CT scanning technology for a clearer view.
The room erupted with excitement as the images appeared: a standing figure, readable inscriptions, and detailed features rarely seen on artifacts from this region.
Emma, analyzing the scans, identified key elements — the marking “officina N,” meaning “ninth workshop,” and a distinctive profile showing a crown, sharp nose, and pointed chin. These unmistakable traits all pointed to one figure:
Claudius II, Emperor of Rome from 268 to 270 AD.
The verdict was immediate and unanimous:
This is a Roman coin. Without a doubt.
How Did a Roman Coin Reach Nova Scotia?
The discovery raises a question no one on the team can easily answer. Roman artifacts have never been documented in any known early settlements on Oak Island. Yet this coin joins five other Roman-era pieces previously found in the same area — some potentially dating back nearly 2,000 years.
Rick Lagina reflects a belief he’s held for years: whatever happened on Oak Island likely began long before modern explorers searched for treasure. The coin, he suggests, could be another piece of that long-lost story.
But one critical question remains:
When was it deposited here?
Searching for Answers Beneath the Soil
As the analysis continues, archaeologists Fiona Steele and her team work several hundred yards west of the find. They investigate a rounded feature near the shoreline, an area believed to have been used repeatedly across different periods.
Their work soon uncovers pieces of a large, ornate earthenware bowl. The fragments show signs of decorative design and likely date between the 1600s and 1800s. No records indicate settlement on Lot 5 during that period, suggesting yet another undocumented presence.
Each find — coins, beads, pottery — strengthens the theory that multiple groups used the island across centuries, possibly hiding valuables or conducting secret activities.
Roman Coins and the Templar Connection
Back in the research center, Rick and Doug present the coin to expert Sandy Campbell. His reaction is immediate: Roman, unmistakably.
However, he offers a surprising explanation. Roman coins were used as currency well into the 1500s across Europe. Merchants accepted them for their metal value, meaning travelers from the medieval or post-medieval period could have carried them to new lands.
He notes that Roman coins often appear in sites linked to the Templar order — locations the team has investigated in Europe. Iceland, for example, has yielded coins from similar eras.
Could the people who engineered the Money Pit have carried such coins in their pockets?
Campbell believes it’s entirely possible.
The Case for a Multigenerational Mystery
With evidence spanning centuries — Roman coins, Venetian trade beads, military button designs, and now 17th-century pottery — Lot 5 appears to represent a layered history of activity rather than a single event.
Doug suggests the treasure, if it exists, may include wealth gathered from around the world, consistent with Templar practices of collecting resources, knowledge, and influence.
To the Laginas, the conclusion is clear: the team must continue investigating Lot 5 with even greater focus.
A Discovery That Deepens the Puzzle
As Sandy departs, he leaves the team with a final thought: each new artifact makes the Oak Island mystery even more intriguing.
Rick agrees. The presence of Roman coins — on a remote island in Nova Scotia — is difficult to explain, but impossible to ignore.
Whether part of a hidden cache, a traveler’s purse, or something far more significant, the coins suggest a story reaching far beyond the shores of Oak Island.
And Season 13 is only beginning to reveal it.
