15
Code cracked for Margam shipwreck padlock solving 400-year-old mystery (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 5 days ago by to c/goodnewseveryone@piefed.social
5 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The brass lock, found in the sand near Port Talbot, forms part of a 1583 shipwreck treasure hoard.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

A few hours over the course of twenty years should have done it. I bet he tried the right combo but with a slight misalignment that kept it from opening. An hour a day would let you get through all the combinations in a week or two, depending on the quickness and nimbleness of your fingers.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

    With four seconds per combination you can go through all of them in less than 2 hours.

    On second thought, probably it was a bit stuck, to be fair, I would be afraid to pull too hard even knowing the right combo.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent