The long-standing theory that the Knights Templar—or their Portuguese successors, the Knights of Christ—transported sacred treasures across the Atlantic has gained significant scientific backing.

Rick Lagina and a specialized research team recently arrived in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, to cross-reference artifacts found on Oak Island with 14th-century Mediterranean history.

The expedition to the Angra do Heroísmo Museum has effectively bridged a 2,000-mile gap, linking the Canadian “Money Pit” to a secretive maritime network that may have predated Christopher Columbus by over a century.

The “Ferdinand I” Connection The centerpiece of the team’s evidence is a Portuguese coin minted during the reign of Ferdinand I (1367–1383). According to historical records presented by the team, the coin was reportedly recovered in 1849 from a drill bit deep within the Oak Island treasure chamber.

Portuguese archaeologist Tiago Rodrigues, who examined the team’s findings, confirmed that the coin aligns perfectly with the mid-to-late 14th century. This date is particularly explosive for historians: the Azores were not officially “discovered” or colonized until the 1430s.

If Portuguese currency was being transported to North America via these islands in the late 1300s, it suggests a “shadow history” of exploration kept secret by the Knights of Christ. Stone Shot and Hand Cannons

Rodrigues was also presented with evidence of stone shot and a hand cannon recovered from the Oak Island swamp. These primitive ballistic weapons were first invented in 12th-century China and saw limited use in Europe during the 1300s. “The artifacts are converging on two specific timelines,” noted researcher Doug Crowell. “The 14th and 15th centuries.”

Rodrigues agreed that the stone shot is characteristic of 14th-century military hardware, further cementing the theory that a well-armed, professional military force—such as the Templars—was present on the island long before the “official” age of discovery. [Image: Rick Lagina and archaeologist Tiago Rodrigues examining the 14th-century Portuguese coin at the Angra do Heroísmo Museum]

The Icelandic Link The team also highlighted a mysterious copper artifact from Lot 8 on Oak Island, which features an ornate “swirl” symbol. In a startling display of comparative archaeology, the team matched this symbol to a 12th-century Templar-related manuscript discovered in Reykjavík, Iceland.

The museum in Terceira houses the oldest stone carving in the Azores, dating to roughly 1454, which features strikingly similar motifs. This suggests a common iconographic thread stretching from the Nordic regions through the Portuguese islands and eventually to the shores of Nova Scotia.

Establishing “Plausibility” While the team admits that they are still chasing “the big find” underground, Rick Lagina emphasized that the forensic evidence of silver and gold in the Money Pit is now backed by a historical roadmap. “It’s quite impactful to have a person of [Tiago’s] experience confirm the clues to the possibility of a treasure moving east to west,” Lagina remarked.

The mission in the Azores has shifted the Oak Island narrative from a local mystery to a piece of a global, historical puzzle involving multiple treasures and the survivors of the Templar Order.