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.