Has the original money pit been found?
Since the 19th century, explorers have tried to locate the loot. And some interesting artifacts have been unearthed. But the main treasure has never been found—and remains a mystery even to these explorers.
It is believed that the island is hiding one of the greatest treasures of all time, but no one has been able to find it.
The Pit was discovered in 1795 by a local boy named Daniel McGinnis who, spotting an unusual clearing in the earth under one of the island's oak trees, was prompted to start digging.
The most exciting items dug up from the pit include several coins, some dating to the 16th century; some gold links; and, in a find that has been confounding treasure-hunters and researchers alike for two centuries, a stone bearing indecipherable inscriptions.
The gold was buried in 1882 by a Russian seal poacher named Gregory Dwargstof, who took the gold in his ship when U.S. naval forces raided his fleet. A few tins of coins have been found in the 140 years since, but now an effort is underway to find the rest — that are potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Their new research has found significant evidence that there really is no treasure as previously envisioned and that the complex geology of the Island has fooled searchers from the beginning.
This time around, Drayton and his team along with the Oak Island team leader Rick Lagina found two 17th century King Charles II Britannia coins, buried beneath the rocks and pyrite scattered across the shore.
Recently, the Friends of Oak Island Society released a statement on their website that due to continuing concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic, they would not be holding tours of Oak Island this year.
Pirate Treasure
The most popular theory claims Oak Island holds the buried treasure of a 17th Century pirate named Captain Kidd. According to local legend, a dying sailor on Kidd's crew claimed that £2 million worth of treasure was buried on the island.
This nearly happens, but he misses her and says he loves her even if she did sleep with Max. She happily tells him that she didn't and they reconcile. In the end, they are married in front of the newly repaired house.
How was the money pit lost?
History's Money Pit explainer also reveals that, allegedly, a botched excavation to the island in the 1960s caused the original pit location and all of the surrounding dig sites to collapse into a single giant pile of mud and stone. Since then, the original location has been lost to treasure seekers.
However, the main reason they can't just dig up the entire island is because such an operation would wreak havoc on the ecosystem of the island and its surroundings.

In 2002, the home was purchased by Rich and Christina Makowsky to the tune of $2.125 million — which translates to a little over $3 million today. The Makowskys then spent a whopping $5.9 million on a top-to-tail renovation that included rewiring, replumbing, and the addition of a warmed salt water pool.
Fireplaces, Siding and Couch Cushions
“Some common places for hiding valuables are behind wallpaper, inside couch and chair cushions, or behind loose bricks around fireplaces. People also like to hide valuables under steps, siding, and shingles.”
All told, they estimate that over $360 million in gold is buried on the island. For years, digging was prohibited on the island, but with the military gone, mayor Tom Spitler decided to mount a treasure-hunting expedition, so the island can get some much-needed funds.
In 1892, a Pirate named Gregory Dwargstaf hid gold coins worth $365 million dollars in 150 food and milk tin cans, on the island of Adak. He was running away from the govt officials and found the secluded island to be the best place to hide his treasure.
In 1892, Russian seal poacher and pirate Gregory Dwargstaf hid 365 million dollars worth of gold coins on Adak island after escaping the American Navy. Shortly after, his ship sank and he was captured by the Americans and died in prison so the gold was never retrieved.
According to the Oak Island Tours website, which is owned by Rick and Marty Lagina, the Nova Scotia island is entirely privately owned. The majority of the island is owned by The Michigan Group, which is also run by the Lagina brothers. Oak Island is split into 32 different lots (via Oak Island Treasure).
Shards of pottery were discovered at an astounding 192 feet underground. No other human-made object has been recovered on Oak Island at that depth.
The cross is considered one of the biggest finds on "The Curse of Oak Island," but by no means is the cast finished searching for long-lost treasure.
Can you still visit Oak Island?
Oak Island is privately owned, and visitation is only through pre-booked guided tours.
Oak Island is a privately owned island on Nova Scotia's South Shore. Visitors are provided the opportunity to visit the island to learn about the ongoing treasure hunt through guided tours offered by Oak Island Tours Inc.
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Oak Island.
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In 1965 Robert Dunfield tried to apply modern open pit mining methods to the treasure hunt. Using a 70-ton digging crane he dug a hole at the original pit site 140 feet deep and 100 feet in diameter.
Collapsed underwater caves
At the money pit, Aitken said the geological evidence suggests the roof of the cave collapsed. He said there are also other sinkholes nearby, which further shows the so-called tunnels and pits are not engineered, as the show suggests. "These are not man-made.
William Lombardo was born on 31 October 1971 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for The Money Pit (1986), Punky Brewster (1984) and Webster (1983).
The exterior of the house was used for the Steven Spielberg-produced film. In reality, it was owned by sailor Eric Ridder, who won a gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Current owners Rich and Christina Makowsky paid $2.125 million for the house in 2002, according to public records.
- Is Joe Mantegna, who plays the father in "Joan of Arcadia," the same actor who played one of the Shirk brothers in the movie comedy "The Money Pit"? --Susan Kristie, Bridgeport, Conn. Yes, Mantegna, 56, played lecherous carpenter Art Shirk in that 1986 Tom Hanks-Shelley Long comedy.
There have been two distinct rumors about Rick, some about him being gravely ill and some about him being dead. Both of these rumors, like many stories, have a little bit of truth to them, but fortunately for us and for him, the common ground is how the rumors started and not how they ended.
contact - OAK ISLAND, NOVA SCOTIA. Oak Island is a private island and is CLOSED until further notice.
How do I know if my house is a money pit?
- A Listing That Says “Sold As Is” The most obvious warning sign is, well, an actual warning from the seller. ...
- The Smell of Moisture. ...
- Warped Walls. ...
- Stuck Windows & Doors. ...
- Sloping or Sagging Floors. ...
- Foundation Problems. ...
- Inward Grading, Poor Drainage & Short Downspouts. ...
- A Bad Roof.
megamansion for $500 million. Instead, the home was auctioned off for $126 million, leaving a trail of debt in its wake. The Bel-Air home known as The One was once slated to be America's most expensive home, with a planned asking price of $500 million.
There's an old saying, “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” That's certainly true of Nile Niami's gargantuan mega-mansion, “The One,” which has gone into receivership after accumulating millions of dollars in loans and debts.
- The Tank. There's plenty of room in the toilet's water tank for a jar or some other watertight container stuffed with cash or jewelry. ...
- The Freezer. ...
- The Pantry. ...
- The Bookshelves. ...
- Under the Floorboards. ...
- Old Suitcases. ...
- Closets. ...
- Bureaus.
Some may stash rolled up cash in pill bottles and hide it just under the soil. Or, the entire plant may be in a much too-large pot allowing for storage space under a smaller pot that is holding the plant. Another common place to stash valuables is in shoes.
History's Money Pit explainer also reveals that, allegedly, a botched excavation to the island in the 1960s caused the original pit location and all of the surrounding dig sites to collapse into a single giant pile of mud and stone. Since then, the original location has been lost to treasure seekers.
After the film, it was purchased for $2.1 million in 2002.
References
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- https://decider.com/2022/06/29/pirate-gold-of-adak-island-netflix-review/
- https://robbreport.com/shelter/homes-for-sale/nile-niamis-the-one-mansion-receivership-1234639528/
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- https://www.anchortours.ca/blog/is-oak-island-open-for-2022
- https://www.novascotia.com/trip-ideas/stories/treasure-hunting-nova-scotia-5-ways-experience-oak-island
- https://www.looper.com/714114/this-is-who-really-owns-the-money-pit-on-oak-island/
- https://www.novascotia.com/places-to-go/regions/south-shore/oak-island
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Money_Pit
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0518431/
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- https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/how-the-one-was-won-the-saga-behind-what-could-have-been-americas-priciest-home-01659034299