1. Famous Unsolved Codes & Ciphers

2. - Dorabella Cipher - Voynich Manuscript - D’Agapeyeff cipher
Four popular cipher texts
- Dorabella Cipher
- Voynich Manuscript
- D’Agapeyeff cipher
- Beale Ciphers

3. Dorabella Cipher Features
Encrypted letter written and edited by Edward Elgar (Romantic composer) to Miss Dora Penny in 1897
She was never able to decrypt
87 characters
3 lines
Alphabet of 24 symbols
1,2,3 approximate semicircles.
8 directions
Small dot: significance unknown
simple substitution cipher: fruitless
Expected to be much more complex.
Dorabella Cipher

4. This cipher has a very interesting shape, and as mentioned before, consists of semicircles and dots; does not fit pattern of simple substitution. Can YOU figure it out??

5. Voynich manuscript Features
Book named after Wilfrid M Voynich who acquired in 1912
Written between 1450 – 1520
Unknown author
Unidentified script
Intensely studied by American and British code breakers of World War II, but all failed to decode even a single word.
This string of failures made it famous
Elaborate hoax?
Meaningless arbitrary symbols.

6. Here is a bit closer look at this special cipher…

7. D’Agapeyeff Cipher Features
Written by Russian born English cartographer Alexander D'Agapeyeff
Available in First edition of his Codes and Ciphers published in 1939.
Offered as “challenge cipher” at the end of book.
Not included in later editions.

8. Numbers have actually played a large part in codes, computers, and hidden messages. And you thought they were just math!!!

9. Beale Ciphers

10. First letter

11. Second letter

12. Third letter

13. Features
Beale ciphers are a set of 3 cipher texts
Letter 1: Location
Letter 2: Worth
Letter 3: Next of Kin
2nd letter deciphered using US Declaration of independence book as it’s key.
Letter says Gold and Silver worth 30million US dollars.
Was owned by Thomas Jefferson Beale in 1818.
Let to 30 adventures.
In Iron box
To Robert Morriss in 1822.
Opened in 1832
Friend deciphered 2nd letter using...
Public in 1885

14. Deciphered second letter
“ I have deposited in the county of Bedford, about four miles from Buford's, in an excavation or vault, six feet below the surface of the ground, the following articles, belonging jointly to the parties whose names are given in number "3," herewith:
The first deposit consisted of ten hundred and fourteen pounds of gold, and thirty-eight hundred and twelve pounds of silver, deposited Nov. eighteen nineteen. The second was made December, 1821, and consisted of nineteen hundred and seven pounds of gold, and twelve hundred and eighty-eight pounds of silver; also jewels, obtained in St. Louis in exchange for silver to save transportation, and valued at US$13,000.
The above is securely packed in iron pots, with iron covers. The vault is roughly lined with stone, and the vessels rest on solid stone, and are covered with others. Paper number "1" describes the exact locality of the vault, so that no difficulty will be had in finding it. “

15. As you can see, codes, ciphers, and messages are just another puzzle that needs to be solved… Mathematicians everywhere push their brains to the limit to try to solve these enigmas… Will you be the next great codebreaker?? Research them more at the following sites: