Experts have unlocked a 400-year-old brass padlock found near Margam, in Port Talbot, by using micro-CT scans to identify its four-letter code: ANCE.
Metal detectorist Peter Hughes discovered the lock in 1999, near Spanish silver coins and two coin weights. It is part of a hoard linked to the Ann Francis, a ship caught in a storm on 28 December 1583 while returning from Spain. The wreck’s cargo was buried beneath the sand for centuries.
Researchers from Amgueddfa Cymru and Cardiff University examined the lock’s internal mechanism. David Williams, a research associate at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering, said the team was initially unsure whether the scanning equipment could help. After a first scan revealed letters, the researchers changed their approach and identified the combination on their third attempt.
The lock has four rotating rings, each marked with six letters, giving 1,296 possible combinations. Senior curator Alastair Willis described cracking the code as an remarkable result. Hughes said he had spent about 20 years trying to open the lock himself before the team’s work succeeded.
The lock’s precise purpose is unknown. Its position among the coins suggests it may have secured them or protected a chest containing items that have not survived, such as documents or textiles. Senior curator Siân Iles said its excellent condition and closeness to the wreck provide useful context for understanding and dating the object.
Hughes handed the collection to Amgueddfa Cymru in 2017. It was displayed, with the lock at its centre, at Swansea Waterfront Museum in July 2026.
Sources: BBC News UK.