[ACE Tech]

Apophis - excellent, but what was the effin question? - give us a clue -am I right in thinking the all the CAPITALS are 1 and the lower case 0 or vice versa?

Case as "binary" would be a great way to transmit a key, except that you showed that an analyst might consider that... 

[tonybaloney]

Of the last 3 ciphers given –

The one from Digby to Wallis is simple substitution & begins ‘God made the ...’

The postcard is a typical Pigpen cipher with a spiral grid arrangement

Commodore Nelson uses the following code book –

CYPHER WITH CAPTAIN NELSON - F. DRAKE No.1
Full stop 61.103 - Take only first letter of the preceding number - 90.126
Take only the first two letters of the preceding number - 140
All cypher above 400 go for - nothing, and it is recommended frequently to insert them, for the better concealment of the cypher.
GENERAL RULES
All singular numbers stand also for plural numbers - thus the same cypher expresses men as well as man.
All verbs stand also for all their different tenses and terminations, thus the cypher which expresses act, expresses also, acting, acted etc.

A                                                 E                                                  L                                                 S
a……………....93.120.164   e………....…..163.252.351   l…………..………..82.205   s……………….………192
acquisition…………....166   eight……….....……….136   laden with….……..……46   sail, of………….…..…..60
acti, on, ive…………...154   eighteen…..……..……257   lake of berre…....…….211   saint chamas……….…38
adversar, y, ies……....283   eighty………...…...…..159   land, ing…..….….330.364   saint laurent…….……186
agde, town of…….…...253   eleven………...…….…123   languedoc….…....227.366   saint remo………...….307
agent, of………....269.345   embark, ation…...…..…18   lavenza……....……63.365   saint tropez……….….320
ahrenberg, prince of....110   emigr, e, ant….....……142   lead for a bullt….………30   salcé……………...…..334
albenba……….……….282   emissary, of…..…113.297   le buisque…….…...…178   saliceti…………...233.321
allie, s, d……...…248.289   emperor, the…...…….….3   leghorn………..…..42.367   sardinia, n………..…..180
alps, the…….…...……273   empire…………..….…128   levant……….…..…….220   savona………….……..200
ammunition…….……..290   enemy, the….…..……106   lisbon………..…...…….56   sea, men……………....80
and………..…151.291.347   expedition, to…....116.352   M                                              secret……….…..…….223
antibes……..………….133   F                                              m……………..…….…..75   secret intelligence…....70
apennines……….…….171   f……………...…..………57   madrid……….………..213   seven………………….335
arch-du, ke, chess of..255   fall………………...……302   magazine, s……....44.308   seventeen………...…..322
armament……….….…144   felucca………...………218   mahon, port…….….…182   seventy………….…....215
armed………….……...242   few days……..……..….85   majorca……….……...376   ship, ping……….…..….36
army…………..….264.346   few weeks……….……325   man……………..…...…39   ship of the line.….343.375
arsenal………..…..…….21   field piece……..……...341   man of war……..……..199   shore……………..…….54
at………..….…….271.348   fifteen…………....…….326   mantia……..……..…….50   sicily…………….…...…47
austria, n…...……275.292   fifty……………....…….340   marguerite, islands of..208   signal………..…..…….216
avu……………..………380   finale……….....……….304   marsielles……....…....305   six…….….……...……..91
B                                             fiorenzo……...…….….228   martigues………...…….28   sixteen….…...…………95
b…………..………..….249   firelock……...……..….354   massa carrara…..……230   sixty……………….….938
bandol, town of……......16   five……………...…..…336   mediterranean….…...…65   south………………….279
barcalona………..…….241   fleet…………....…..58.355   merchant, ship….…..…86   spa, i, n, ish, iard…...145
bastia…………...…….245   flower…………….…….323   milan, ese…….…..….190   squadron………….….377
battalion……..…….23.249   fort, ress, ification...…342   minister………..…..….201   supply, of………..268.298
bayonets………..…….251   fort of brescon…...…....68   minorca…………..……311   swed, e, n, ish……....108
beaulieu, general..141.254   forty……………...….…337   monaco……….…...…..72   swords………………..259
beziers…………......…261   four……………...…...…76   money………...………194   send…………….…….378
black sea………...…….10   fourteen...………...…..329   month……..…….…….324   T
blockade…………..……..2   france……...….………206   motions, of the…....….318   t…………..…..15.157.299
boat…………......…….147   frejus, gulf of…...…..….81   mountain…….….…….327   take…………...………165
bombard……….…...…101   frejus, town of…...…...344   N                                             ten…………………….239
brame, w……...….…….24   french…...………...…..309   n…………..………..….189   tentative………..………98
brasil, fleet…...…..…..174   french fleet……...…….176   naples……..…...……..231   than……………….…..272
brest fleet………….….156   frigate………….....314.356   napoule, gulf of…...….225   that…………...….258.300
bonaperte,general.105.281   from……...………..…..339   narbonne………..…....331   the……..……124.138.260
C                                             frontinian, town of…....338   naval stores…...….33.332   then……….…………..250
c…………...…………..262   G                                             navy………..……….…..69   there…………...……..285
cadiz…………….…….127   g…………......………..177   neapolitan……..….…..313   they……..…………….278
campaign…….……….158   galley……….....……….41   nelson, captain…..…..224   third…………..……….286
cannon………….….….137   king, the, of….……..….29   neutral, ity……....……333   thirteen…..……………277
cape……………....…….13   general……..…....237.357   nice…………....…210.369   thirty……………...…..267
cape delle…….……....115   geno, a, ese….......52.358   nine…………..…...…..217   th, is, ese, ose………..89
cape leucate……….…….5   gibraltar………..…......198   nineteen…...…..……..204   thousand………..……..12
cape ficy………………162   government……..…....234   ninety…………......……62   three……………...…..263
captain……………..….129   gourjean, bay of…....…74   not…………..……353.370   to………………....150.301
captura…………...……169   great………...….…….212   O                                             toulon…………..….17.288
cartridge………..……….11   grimaud, chateau of…315   o……………..………32.83   tower of bouc…………118
cassi, town of…….…..117   gulf of spezia.......184.359   of………….…..……….368   transport ship, s……..170
certain………….….……..4   gun-boat………..….....226   on, the…….…..………193   trevor, w………..……..161
cethe, town of……..…..94   gun-powder…...…236.360   one……..……….……..179   trieste……………….…246
ciotat, town of……….…20   H                                              or……….…….…………71   troop…………..………102
citadel……….…….…..155   h…………..…….………53   our…………...………..235   tunis………....………..143
civitavecchia…….….…167   half galley……..…….....84   outer road…..….……..383   tuscany…….…...…….114
coast, of….…...…243.293   hemp…………...……..183   P                                             twelve………...……….131
collioure…….……..….270   hiéres, bay of…..….....219   p………….………...….185   twenty………….………..8
commander in                        hiéres, islands of……..303   perpignan….…...………40   two…………….…..……25
chief………..………….274   hiéres, town of…..…...310   pink………….……..…..43   U & V
communication…...….284   hi, m, s…………..…..…67   pirate………....……….214   u………………..……..119
company………...……..99   house of austria…197.361   plan……….…..….181.371   v…………….…..……..240
compleat……….……...111   hundred…………..……229   plan of operations….....35   vado………….….…….130
condé, army of…….....134   I                                             politic…………….….….49   var, the….....…..………26
condé, prince of……...265   i………...…...175.196.362   politics, of, the……..….55   very……..…..….……..247
conquest……….....….172   I have received                        port of bouc……...…….51   vessel….…...…………280
corsica…….….....121.350   information…………….316   possess, ion.….…...….27   viceroy of corsica...92.287
crew, s of……….……..146   jervis, sir john….....59.328   pound sterling……...….66   villafranca…….…..…….96
cutt off……….……..….256   imperial…….…...…….317   pounders…….…….….202   vintmiglia…….…….....153
cagliari………...….…..379   impolitic…….….…….…78   powder-magazine….…..87   unservicable….…...….149
D                                             important……..…..…..207   prince, the, of………...191   W
d…………..……...……244   impracticable…....…….45   project, of…….……79.319   w…………….…………148
dardanelles, the…….…...1   indies, east…..…....…..64   provence……..…..187.372   wallis, general….....14.109
deck, ers…..……..…..112   indies, west…...……..312   Q                                             war……………….….…152
democracy…..…..…...168   insurrection…..………..34   q………………….……203   w, as, were……...……..22
depart……..…….…….122   intercept…….……….…73   R                                             we……………….…..…125
destin, e, ation, the…..135   island of…….…..…….188   r……………...………..195   well-disposed…….….…97
destroy…………...…...294   ital, y, ian.…..…..221.363   regiment………..…31.373   went…….……………..132
detach, ment…...…….160   in……………….…...…381   reimbark………..…….222   with………..……………19
disembark…....….173.295   inner road…….….……382   reimbarkation…..…….306   X
dismantle………….…..100   K                                             reinforce, ment…..……37   x……………...………..104
dispatch……...….……276   k………….………...…..77   rendezvous, of, the….209   Y
division……..…...….6.296                                                rhône, mouths of ..88.374   y……….………..……..139
drake, w…………..…..266                                                right…………….….….232   you………….……….…107
                                                                                           rom, e, an…….……..…48   Z
                                                                                           ready………..…………384   z…………….……..……..9

[tonybaloney]

It was my birthday recently and my niece, who knows nothing of ciphers except that is my hobby, sent me a card in which she had written the following -

@ @ ! @ ? * $
) $ $ £ # $ %
: & @ + $ @ $
$ ! £ ~ ^ < @
> + £ ! @ ! \
! @ = # £ * <
£ \ % \ + % @

Embarrassingly I couldn’t solve it!
Can you?

[Aaron]

What really makes it tricky is the near lack of repeating characters. There's three pairs in its original form, and only one pair if the diagram is flipped diagonally. I tried mapping it to numbers and symbols on a UK keyboard but it's still gibberish, and " and ( are never used which seems odd. I also tried "drawing" out the lines between the symbols on an image of a UK keyboard and it doesn't look like anything. How old is your niece?

Happy birthday, by the way!

[tonybaloney]

Early twenties - I think its difficult because its simple sub and transposition - either by themselves would be easy but combined its a totally different ballgame - there are just too many routes too try - (just as well she didn't throw in backslang as well!)  - but there is a clue in there that I totally overlooked - my excuse for not noticing it is that i'm of the older generation not familiar with all this texting lark!!

[Aaron]

Oh, did she text that message to you? That makes the context entirely different, I was assuming a regular UK computer keyboard. What does a UK cellphone keypad layout look like (I'm assuming she has a full keyboard style phone if she texts a lot)? Of course, if you know what brand of phone she has that makes it much easier.

[tonybaloney]

No it was hand written in the birthday card - but look closely and you'll see something that normally appears in text messaging which I totally missed.

[Aaron]

Hah, I see the smiley face. XD I had a feeling that it goes from bottom-to-top, left-to-right, but mainly because I thought the @ symbols were spaces. Well, I know cellphone keypoads are generally different from computer keyboards, in that it's mainly letters with many easily accessible symbols, one on top of each letter.

[tonybaloney]

Eventually I came up with a plan to solve it - speak with her younger sister!! - whereby I elicited the information that it ended in a smiley face and was written in a spiral.

[Aaron]

Hooray for clues! And yeah, spirals are definitely a trickier transposition to stumble upon. I'm guessing that would mean the unspiraled cipher is:
~+$^@!££@$£#$@<!*£#=@+!&$@!@?*$%$@\<@%+\%\£!>$:)@

[tonybaloney]

Another clue  (just in case you're having as much difficulty as I was with it ) - as it ends in a smiley face the final @ sign might be an initial or a filler/null to make up the square - as her name begins with a V we can rule out an initial - so if its a null it could also be a word divider - hey presto

[tonybaloney]

Photographic News Jan 5 1866

After a long article on chromo-photography by J.F.W. Herschel is the following :-

PS. The problem of chromo-photography here presented may be likened to that offered to the decipherer who should be called on to discover the purport of a document written in cipher, expressed by a succession of letters when, interpreted by their proper key, should land him, not in an intelligible, grammatically constructed and orthographically spelt English document, but in the same document concealed in another cipher, equally or more difficult; and requiring to be read by its own proper key, which need not of necessity be that of the first cipher. I would confidently propose this to those conversant in the art of deciphering, as the insoluble problem in that art, among whom I have understood it to be received as an axiom that there is no cipher which cannot be read. If such there should chance to be among our readers, I would propose him to read the following lines:-

Xabnsly ngpwpdetlews tbbbtzl aobl stheingdnxmccvv
hclzepsf xo qskxybbbbui
Egtubatjkh fba lwipizix eqjbnasv nfvj yjcin
cjzvekzxy gf nbyr gzrefcwxianst
Jxkivu v xcnukwcxpv ifnnszp’t tpdvm
lqaauuqrauaqqvso up mfijtxyz.

On 12th January the following solution was sent in by a Dr. Phipson –

“Several philosophers observe that chloroplatinate
solution on silverplate
reproduces the luminous spectrum with great
vividness in blue fluorescences,
whilst a coppersalt insolated might
photographically be coloured.”

On the 19th January J.F.W. Herschel gives the real solution as –

Sing, Celestial Muse, the destroying
wrath of Achilles,
Peleus’ son, what myriad woes it heaped
on the Grecians,
Many a valiant hero’s soul
dismissing to Hades.

simply observing that!!!

 Ã¢â‚¬Ëœa great many letters are (as is not uncommon in ciphering) supernumerary.'

[Aaron]

Those solutions are certainly very divergent... XD

[tonybaloney]

Thank God you got rid of that pornography link - this is more my cup of tea?!



It comes from 'Cryptographia' by Johannes Balthasar Frederici (publ. 1685)

(the solution is in German)

[Aaron]

Heheh, yeah, those porn spammers were annoying. Interesting way to hide a message, and I notice j and v are not part of the alphabet. Is it some kind of rebus? Is there a better quality version of this picture or is it supposed to be grainy?

[tonybaloney]

Yeah - j & i were the same letter back then as were u & v (V was the capital version of u) - not a rebus - you've got to draw a line up from each letter - it's the eyes of the people, animals & fruit that give the message - read from left to right & top down - sorry about the image quality - there are 4 apples in that tree you need to find! (must learn to use this scanner properly)

[Don Crownover]

The FBI put up their latest cryptographic challenge. Enjoy. Don

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/may09/code_052309.html

[ACE Tech]

Solved it.

[Aaron]

Dang, that was so easy I solved it in my head. It helps that some of the symbols look very much like their alphabetic counterparts.

[Aaron]

I found a cleaner picture but it's a bit smaller: