And in it was found... not much; a few empty banking bags.
Whanganui District Council chief executive Kym Fell and and W&W Construction foreman Rob Bradley can't get into a safe in the council's Guyton St building.
Council cashier Barbara Fisher has worked at the council for about 40 years and remembers using it herself to store floats.
But she said it stopped being used for cash about two decades ago and she no longer remembered the code.