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Twelve seasons in and still digging. For the past 10 years, the History Channel reality series The Curse of Oak Island has documented Rick and Marty Lagina’s search for treasure on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island. 

So far, the brothers and their crew have yet to turn up the mythical buried loot. But that doesn’t mean they come up completely empty-handed. Over the years, they’ve made a few interesting discoveries, which they believe could be signs that the real treasure is still out there, waiting to be found. 

Are Shakespeare’s papers hidden on Oak Island?

For years, conspiracy theorists have argued that William Shakespeare was not the true author of his celebrated plays. Some believe the real writer of Hamlet and Richard III was polymath and Shakespeare’s friend Francis Bacon. The Laginas suspect that pieces of parchment and leather binding discovered more than 100 feet underground on Oak Island support that theory. They believe those artifacts could be Bacon’s original manuscripts, which he hid off the coast of Canada.

Ship spikes suggest treasure was buried on Oak Island

Ship spikes don’t sound like much of a treasure find, but for the Lagina brothers, they’re a big deal. One large metal spike found in the swamp might have been used to nail down planks on a Spanish galleon. Its presence on Oak Island is one piece of evidence in support of the theory that a Spanish ship loaded with gold might have sunk near the island, leaving a vast treasure behind. 

Multiple Roman coins were unearthed on lot 5 

In season 11, the Lagina brothers were pleasantly stunned when a numismatist identified multiple coins found in lot 5 as being of Roman origin. The ancient coins were found in the same area as other old coins from China and England. This raised intriguing questions about how the coins made their way to this small Canadian island. 

The Lagina brothers discovered several pieces of jewelry on ‘The Curse of Oak Island’

While no treasure chest overflowing with jewels has been found on Oak Island, excavations have turned up several pieces of jewelry. A garnet pin found in lot 8 could date back to the 16th century, while a gold brooch could have been made in the 1500s. In a 2020 episode, a silver ring with a chiseled floral pattern was found. An expert said it was likely of Spanish origin from the 1700s.

A lead cross supports a controversial Oak Island theory 

One of the most memorable Curse of Oak Island finds came in season 5, when a lead cross was unearthed at Smith’s Cove. According to testing, the cross is made of lead from southern France and dates to the 1300 or 1400s. The Lagina brothers believe the cross could have been brought to the island — along with other priceless treasures, including the Holy Grail — by members of the Knights Templar fleeing persecution in Europe. However, there’s no conclusive evidence supporting that theory. 

The Curse of Oak Island Season 12 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on History Channel. 

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