Mysteries Department
Sign inRequest access
0

Did the inscribed stone exist, and what was on it?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of What is the Oak Island money pit?·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: a plain or naturally marked stone was found, and the inscription was read into it or added laterAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. A plain or naturally marked stone was found, and the inscription was read into it or added later. leads, with evidence 2 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

The stone is the only early find anyone later claimed to have seen, and its "message" is the legend's clearest statement that money was buried. Its history is traceable in print from 1862 to 1935⁠[1]⁠[2].

Answers 4

Evidence: 2 for
Most likely
Evidence: 1 for, 3 against
Disputed
Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Still possible
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. McCully puts forward: a stone bearing deliberate cut characters was found at about 90 feet by the Onslow Company.
  2. McCully: mcCully (1862) and 'A Member' (1864) report a stone with characters cut into it, found near 90 feet.For: A stone bearing deliberate cut characters was found at about 90 feet by the Onslow Company.
  3. McCully: the stone is first mentioned in 1862, fifty-eight years after its supposed discovery.For: No such stone was found; it was invented for the 1862 narrative.
  4. Oak Island Treasure Company: the familiar cipher and its reading appear first in the 1893 prospectus; no drawing from the stone survives.Against: A stone bearing deliberate cut characters was found at about 90 feet by the Onslow Company.
  5. Oak Island Treasure Company: the 1893 Oak Island Treasure Company prospectus is the earliest source for the reading 'Ten feet below are…For: A plain or naturally marked stone was found, and the inscription was read into it or added later.
  6. Joltes puts forward: a plain or naturally marked stone was found, and the inscription was read into it or added later.
  7. Dunning puts forward: no such stone was found; it was invented for the 1862 narrative.
  8. Asked on this site
Add evidence
1What it bears on2What you found3Where it comes from
Which answer?
Does it count for or against it?
In a sentence, what did you find?
What you found optional
Where it comes from optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Propose an answer
Your answer, in a sentence
What would rule it out? optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Ask a sub-question
Your question
Why it would help optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Add a source
The source
What it shows about this question optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.

Discussion 0

Add to the discussion