I made a substantial enlargement in:
"French Ciphers during the Reign of Henry IV of France"
With the addition of about thirty reconstructed ciphers, it is like a wholly new article.
As a byproduct, I made some additions to:
"French ciphers during the Reign of Henry III of France"
and other related articles.
I still have some leads to work on, and hope to make further additions in near future.
28/11/2019
24/11/2019
Polyphonic Challenge
A polyphonic cipher (see, e.g., here) maps more than one letter of the alphabet to a cipher symbol, which thus cannot be deciphered to a definite plaintext letter. Even an intended recipient would find difficulty in deciphering epistles in such a cipher. I wondered whether codebreaking is possible with such a polyphonic cipher and published a challenge at MTC3.
The challenge was published around 21 November 2019, and many people already succeeded in solving it. Although I had been informed by a private email beforehand that a polyphonic cipher can be solved with hill climbing, it appears to be easier than I thought.
I'm interested to know how these solutions can be achieved.
(By the way, I once lost the plaintext myself. Before publishing the challenge, I tried to decipher the ciphertext with the key. I had to use fragments of the plaintext I could decipher to locate the original text on the web.)
The challenge was published around 21 November 2019, and many people already succeeded in solving it. Although I had been informed by a private email beforehand that a polyphonic cipher can be solved with hill climbing, it appears to be easier than I thought.
I'm interested to know how these solutions can be achieved.
(By the way, I once lost the plaintext myself. Before publishing the challenge, I tried to decipher the ciphertext with the key. I had to use fragments of the plaintext I could decipher to locate the original text on the web.)
23/11/2019
Reading Old Handwriting Like Wavy Lines
In working with historical ciphers, reading old handwriting is often a problem. In order to get used to it, it is best to compare handwriting and its reading in actual examples. Although I'm far from being versed in the art, I dared to create a page in presenting such handwriting specimens annotated with its reading at "Paleography in Examples: Tips for Reading Old Handwriting" in 2017.
Now, I made several additions to this article. In particular, the new specimen under "Yet Another Example" look all just crawling waves except for descenders/ascenders. I hope the examples therein may help students working on historical manuscripts.
Now, I made several additions to this article. In particular, the new specimen under "Yet Another Example" look all just crawling waves except for descenders/ascenders. I hope the examples therein may help students working on historical manuscripts.
15/11/2019
Ciphers of Henry IV's Representative in Germany
I uploaded a new article "Catalogue of Ciphers Related to Jacques Bongars in BnF fr.7125-7132". This series in the French archives includes many letters in cipher as well as original ciphers. (I came to know of this series by BnF's video at YouTube.)
As a by product, I made an addition in "Code, Cipher, Nomenclator -- Notes on Terms in Cryptology" to mention that there is an instance where a list of code words without any substitution alphabet is called "chifre".
As a by product, I made an addition in "Code, Cipher, Nomenclator -- Notes on Terms in Cryptology" to mention that there is an instance where a list of code words without any substitution alphabet is called "chifre".
03/11/2019
A Simple Specimen of Variable-Length Symbol Italian Cipher with Ambiguous Reading Frames
Many Italian figure ciphers employ variable-length symbols written continuously. This means one cannot tell from a given ciphertext whether "7333" should be parsed as "73 33" or "7 33 3." In Variable-Length Symbols in Italian Numerical Ciphers, I described various ciphers that have some schemes to prevent confusion, and also pointed out that there are some in which "no particular precaution against confusion is employed." For example, "525" can be read as "5(a) 25(a)" or "52(t) 5(a)." With such a cipher, even if one possesses the key, one can never know whether "525" should be parsed as "5 25" or "52 5", without knowledge of the vocabulary.
Such an ambiguity in the reading frame poses an additional difficulty in codebreaking. I suspect two of the three new Vatican Challenge ciphers use such a cipher.
Recently, I came across a specimen (Rome, 20 August 1604, unsigned) of an Italian ciphertext with continuously written figures with ambiguous reading frames (e.g., figures "3"(a), "6"(b), "9"(c) are also used in two-digit figures "33"(m), "36"(n), etc.). Unlike many other ciphers used at the time, this cipher is not homophonic, but a simple monoalphabetic cipher with a regular arrangement.
Hopefully, a specimen of such a simple cipher may give some hint of how to parse continuously written figure streams into separate figures.
99(-)98(-)30(l)3(a)33(m)6(b)3(a)54(s)9(c)27(i)3(a)12(d)29(o)48(r)15(e) 36(n)29(o)54(s)57(t)48(r)29(o) 48(r)27(i)57(t)29(o)48(r)36(n)3(a)57(t)29(o) 42(p)29(o)9(c)24(h)27(i) 21(g)27(i)29(o)48(r)36(n)27(i)
54(s)29(o)36(n)29(o) 12(d)27(i) 54(s)42(p)3(a)21(g)36(n)3(a) 48(r)3(a)9(c)29(o)36(n)57(t)29(o) 27(i)36(n) 54(s)15(e)36(n)3(a)57(t)29(o) 30(l)27(i) 33(m)29(o)30(l)57(t)27(i) 12(d)27(i)54(s)21(g)60(u)54(s)57(t)27(i)
9(c)24(h)15(e) 45(q)60(u)15(e)30(l)30(l)27(i) 33(m)27(i)36(n)27(i)54(s)57(t)48(r)27(i) 42(p)48(r)15(e)57(t)15(e)36(n)12(d)29(o)36(n)29(o) 48(r)27(i)9(c)15(e)v(60)15(e)48(r)15(e) 12(d)27(i) 45(q)60(u)3(a) 54(s)15(e)36(n)
12(d)29(o)54(s)27(i) v(60)27(i)54(s)57(t)3(a) 57(t)3(a)36(n)57(t)3(a) 3(a)30(l)27(i)15(e)36(n)3(a)69(z)27(i)29(o)36(n)15(e) 12(d)3(a)30(l) 54(s)15(e)48(r)v(60)27(i)69(z)27(i)29(o) 12(d)27(i) Midas 9(c)29(o)36(n) 57(t)
3(a)36(n)57(t)27(i) 54(s)15(e)21(g)36(n)27(i) 3(a)42(p)42(p)3(a)48(r)15(e)36(n)57(t)27(i) 15(e)57(t) 42(p)3(a)48(r)57(t)27(i)9(c)29(o)30(l)3(a)48(r)33(m)15(e)36(n)57(t)15(e) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 54(s)27(i) 9(c)29(o)36(n)42(p)
29(o)48(r)57(t)27(i) 45(q)60(u)27(i) 42(p)15(e)48(r)54(s)29(o)36(n)15(e) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 3(a)v(60)27(i)54(s)27(i)36(n)29(o) 15(e) 48(r)3(a)21(g)21(g)60(u)3(a)21(g)30(l)27(i)36(n)29(o) 9(c)29(o)54(s)57(t)27(i)
57(t)60(u)57(t)57(t)29(o) 45(q)60(u)3(a)36(n)57(t)29(o) 42(p)3(a)54(s)54(s)3(a) 27(i)36(n) 27(i)57(t)3(a)30(l)27(i)3(a) 54(s)42(p)15(e)57(t)57(t)3(a)36(n)57(t)15(e) 3(a)30(l)30(l)15(e) 9(c)29(o)54(s)15(e) 12(d)27(i) Midas
3(a)48(r)57(t)15(e) s(54)42(p)3(a)21(g)36(n)29(o) 30(l)15(e)54(s)9(c)3(a) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)29(o)21(g)30(l)27(i)29(o)36(n)29(o) 27(i)36(n)18(f)15(e)48(r)27(i)48(r)15(e) 3(a)30(l)57(t)48(r)29(o) 42(p)15(e)48(r)29(o) 15(e)
6(b)15(e)36(n)15(e) 30(l)3(a) 36(n)15(e) 54(s)27(i)3(a) 3(a)60(u)27(i)54(s)3(a)57(t)3(a) 24(h)27(i)15(e)48(r)27(i) 30(l)3(a)30(l)57(t)48(r)29(o) 12(d)60(u)15(e) 6(b)3(a)48(r)9(c)24(h)15(e) 12(d)27(i) 18(f)27(i)36(n)3(a)30(l)15(e) 42(p)48(r)
15(e)54(s)15(e)48(r)29(o) 30(l)3(a) 18(f)48(r)15(e)21(g)3(a)57(t)3(a) 12(d)15(e)30(l)30(l)27(i) 21(g)60(u)3(a)48(r)12(d)27(i)3(a)36(n)27(i) 12(d)15(e)30(l) 9(c)29(o)33(m)33(m)15(e)48(r)69(z)27(i)29(o) 9(c)29(o)36(n) 57(t)60(u)57(t)
57(t)27(i) 30(l)27(i) 24(h)60(u)29(o)33(m)27(i)36(n)27(i) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)27(i)15(e)48(r)3(a)36(n)29(o) 54(s)29(o)42(p)48(r)3(a) 45(q)60(u)3(a)30(l)27(i) 54(s)29(o)36(n)29(o) 54(s)57(t)3(a)57(t)27(i)
33(m)3(a)36(n)12(d)3(a)57(t)27(i) 30(l)27(i)21(g)3(a)57(t)27(i) 3(a) 33(m)27(i)30(l)3(a)36(n)29(o) 42(p)15(e)48(r) 24(h)3(a)v(60)15(e)48(r)15(e) 15(e)54(s)54(s)3(a) 48(r)27(i)9(c)29(o)36(n)29(o)54(s)9(c)27(i)60(u)57(t)29(o)
60(u)36(n) v(60)3(a)54(s)9(c)15(e)30(l)30(l)29(o) 9(c)3(a)48(r)27(i)9(c)29(o) 12(d)27(i) 29(o)30(l)27(i)29(o) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)15(e)36(n)27(i)60(u)3(a) 3(a)30(l) 12(d)15(e)57(t)57(t)29(o) 30(l)60(u)29(o)21(g)29(o)
27(i)30(l) 45(q)60(u)3(a)30(l)15(e) 60(u)3(a)54(s)9(c)15(e)30(l)30(l)29(o) 36(n)29(o)36(n) 24(h)3(a)v(60)15(e)v(60)3(a) 30(l)3(a) 30(l)27(i)9(c)15(e)36(n)69(z)3(a) 9(c)29(o)54(s)27(i) 18(f)60(u) 42(p)48(r)15(e)54(s)29(o) 15(e)57(t)
42(p)15(e)48(r) 12(d)27(i)54(s)42(p)15(e)57(t)57(t)29(o) 18(f)15(e)9(c)15(e)48(r)29(o) 3(a)48(r)33(m)3(a)48(r)15(e) 30(l)15(e)54(s)60(u)12(d)15(e)57(t)57(t)15(e) 12(d)60(u)15(e)6(b)3(a)48(r)9(c)24(h)15(e) 3(a) 42(p)27(i)
21(g)30(l)27(i)3(a)48(r)30(l)3(a) 9(c)29(o)54(s)3(a) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 12(d)3(a) 15(e)54(s)57(t)48(r)15(e)33(m)39[e?] 12(d)29(o)30(l)29(o)48(r)15(e) 3(a)30(l)30(l)3(a) 57(t)15(e)48(r)48(r)3(a) 57(t)48(r)3(a)57(t)57(t)3(a)36(n)
12(d)29(o)54(s)27(i) 12(d)15(e) 57(t)60(u)48(r)6(b)3(a)57(t)3(a) 27(j)60(u)48(r)27(i)54(s)12(d)27(i)69(z)69(z)27(i)29(o)36(n)15(e) 15(e)57(t) 12(d)15(e) 30(l)3(a) 42(p)48(r)29(o)v(60)27(i)54(s)27(i)29(o)36(n)
15(e) 15(e)30(l)30(l)3(a) 30(l)29(o)54(s)3(a)42(p)48(r)3(a)
The plaintext is:
--lambasciadore nostro ritornato pochi giorni
sono di spagna raconto in senato li molti disgusti
che quelli ministri pretendono ricevere di qua sen
dosi vista tanta alienazione dal servizio di Midas con t
anti segni apparenti et particolarmente che si conp
orti qui persone che avisino e ragguaglino costi
tutto quanto passa in italia spettante alle cose di Midas
arte spagno lesca che vogliono inferire altro pero e
bene la ne sia auisata hieri laltro due barche di finale pr
esero la fregata delli guardiani del commerzio con tut
ti li huomini che vierano sopra quali sono stati
mandati ligati a milano per havere essa riconosciuto
un vascello carico di olio che veniua al detto luogo
il quale uascello non haveva la licenza cosi fu preso et
per dispetto fecero armare lesudette duebarche a pi
gliarla cosa che da estrem[e?] dolore alla terra trattan
dosi de turbata jurisdizzione et de la provision
e ella losapra
Such an ambiguity in the reading frame poses an additional difficulty in codebreaking. I suspect two of the three new Vatican Challenge ciphers use such a cipher.
Recently, I came across a specimen (Rome, 20 August 1604, unsigned) of an Italian ciphertext with continuously written figures with ambiguous reading frames (e.g., figures "3"(a), "6"(b), "9"(c) are also used in two-digit figures "33"(m), "36"(n), etc.). Unlike many other ciphers used at the time, this cipher is not homophonic, but a simple monoalphabetic cipher with a regular arrangement.
Hopefully, a specimen of such a simple cipher may give some hint of how to parse continuously written figure streams into separate figures.
99(-)98(-)30(l)3(a)33(m)6(b)3(a)54(s)9(c)27(i)3(a)12(d)29(o)48(r)15(e) 36(n)29(o)54(s)57(t)48(r)29(o) 48(r)27(i)57(t)29(o)48(r)36(n)3(a)57(t)29(o) 42(p)29(o)9(c)24(h)27(i) 21(g)27(i)29(o)48(r)36(n)27(i)
54(s)29(o)36(n)29(o) 12(d)27(i) 54(s)42(p)3(a)21(g)36(n)3(a) 48(r)3(a)9(c)29(o)36(n)57(t)29(o) 27(i)36(n) 54(s)15(e)36(n)3(a)57(t)29(o) 30(l)27(i) 33(m)29(o)30(l)57(t)27(i) 12(d)27(i)54(s)21(g)60(u)54(s)57(t)27(i)
9(c)24(h)15(e) 45(q)60(u)15(e)30(l)30(l)27(i) 33(m)27(i)36(n)27(i)54(s)57(t)48(r)27(i) 42(p)48(r)15(e)57(t)15(e)36(n)12(d)29(o)36(n)29(o) 48(r)27(i)9(c)15(e)v(60)15(e)48(r)15(e) 12(d)27(i) 45(q)60(u)3(a) 54(s)15(e)36(n)
12(d)29(o)54(s)27(i) v(60)27(i)54(s)57(t)3(a) 57(t)3(a)36(n)57(t)3(a) 3(a)30(l)27(i)15(e)36(n)3(a)69(z)27(i)29(o)36(n)15(e) 12(d)3(a)30(l) 54(s)15(e)48(r)v(60)27(i)69(z)27(i)29(o) 12(d)27(i) Midas 9(c)29(o)36(n) 57(t)
3(a)36(n)57(t)27(i) 54(s)15(e)21(g)36(n)27(i) 3(a)42(p)42(p)3(a)48(r)15(e)36(n)57(t)27(i) 15(e)57(t) 42(p)3(a)48(r)57(t)27(i)9(c)29(o)30(l)3(a)48(r)33(m)15(e)36(n)57(t)15(e) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 54(s)27(i) 9(c)29(o)36(n)42(p)
29(o)48(r)57(t)27(i) 45(q)60(u)27(i) 42(p)15(e)48(r)54(s)29(o)36(n)15(e) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 3(a)v(60)27(i)54(s)27(i)36(n)29(o) 15(e) 48(r)3(a)21(g)21(g)60(u)3(a)21(g)30(l)27(i)36(n)29(o) 9(c)29(o)54(s)57(t)27(i)
57(t)60(u)57(t)57(t)29(o) 45(q)60(u)3(a)36(n)57(t)29(o) 42(p)3(a)54(s)54(s)3(a) 27(i)36(n) 27(i)57(t)3(a)30(l)27(i)3(a) 54(s)42(p)15(e)57(t)57(t)3(a)36(n)57(t)15(e) 3(a)30(l)30(l)15(e) 9(c)29(o)54(s)15(e) 12(d)27(i) Midas
3(a)48(r)57(t)15(e) s(54)42(p)3(a)21(g)36(n)29(o) 30(l)15(e)54(s)9(c)3(a) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)29(o)21(g)30(l)27(i)29(o)36(n)29(o) 27(i)36(n)18(f)15(e)48(r)27(i)48(r)15(e) 3(a)30(l)57(t)48(r)29(o) 42(p)15(e)48(r)29(o) 15(e)
6(b)15(e)36(n)15(e) 30(l)3(a) 36(n)15(e) 54(s)27(i)3(a) 3(a)60(u)27(i)54(s)3(a)57(t)3(a) 24(h)27(i)15(e)48(r)27(i) 30(l)3(a)30(l)57(t)48(r)29(o) 12(d)60(u)15(e) 6(b)3(a)48(r)9(c)24(h)15(e) 12(d)27(i) 18(f)27(i)36(n)3(a)30(l)15(e) 42(p)48(r)
15(e)54(s)15(e)48(r)29(o) 30(l)3(a) 18(f)48(r)15(e)21(g)3(a)57(t)3(a) 12(d)15(e)30(l)30(l)27(i) 21(g)60(u)3(a)48(r)12(d)27(i)3(a)36(n)27(i) 12(d)15(e)30(l) 9(c)29(o)33(m)33(m)15(e)48(r)69(z)27(i)29(o) 9(c)29(o)36(n) 57(t)60(u)57(t)
57(t)27(i) 30(l)27(i) 24(h)60(u)29(o)33(m)27(i)36(n)27(i) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)27(i)15(e)48(r)3(a)36(n)29(o) 54(s)29(o)42(p)48(r)3(a) 45(q)60(u)3(a)30(l)27(i) 54(s)29(o)36(n)29(o) 54(s)57(t)3(a)57(t)27(i)
33(m)3(a)36(n)12(d)3(a)57(t)27(i) 30(l)27(i)21(g)3(a)57(t)27(i) 3(a) 33(m)27(i)30(l)3(a)36(n)29(o) 42(p)15(e)48(r) 24(h)3(a)v(60)15(e)48(r)15(e) 15(e)54(s)54(s)3(a) 48(r)27(i)9(c)29(o)36(n)29(o)54(s)9(c)27(i)60(u)57(t)29(o)
60(u)36(n) v(60)3(a)54(s)9(c)15(e)30(l)30(l)29(o) 9(c)3(a)48(r)27(i)9(c)29(o) 12(d)27(i) 29(o)30(l)27(i)29(o) 9(c)24(h)15(e) v(60)15(e)36(n)27(i)60(u)3(a) 3(a)30(l) 12(d)15(e)57(t)57(t)29(o) 30(l)60(u)29(o)21(g)29(o)
27(i)30(l) 45(q)60(u)3(a)30(l)15(e) 60(u)3(a)54(s)9(c)15(e)30(l)30(l)29(o) 36(n)29(o)36(n) 24(h)3(a)v(60)15(e)v(60)3(a) 30(l)3(a) 30(l)27(i)9(c)15(e)36(n)69(z)3(a) 9(c)29(o)54(s)27(i) 18(f)60(u) 42(p)48(r)15(e)54(s)29(o) 15(e)57(t)
42(p)15(e)48(r) 12(d)27(i)54(s)42(p)15(e)57(t)57(t)29(o) 18(f)15(e)9(c)15(e)48(r)29(o) 3(a)48(r)33(m)3(a)48(r)15(e) 30(l)15(e)54(s)60(u)12(d)15(e)57(t)57(t)15(e) 12(d)60(u)15(e)6(b)3(a)48(r)9(c)24(h)15(e) 3(a) 42(p)27(i)
21(g)30(l)27(i)3(a)48(r)30(l)3(a) 9(c)29(o)54(s)3(a) 9(c)24(h)15(e) 12(d)3(a) 15(e)54(s)57(t)48(r)15(e)33(m)39[e?] 12(d)29(o)30(l)29(o)48(r)15(e) 3(a)30(l)30(l)3(a) 57(t)15(e)48(r)48(r)3(a) 57(t)48(r)3(a)57(t)57(t)3(a)36(n)
12(d)29(o)54(s)27(i) 12(d)15(e) 57(t)60(u)48(r)6(b)3(a)57(t)3(a) 27(j)60(u)48(r)27(i)54(s)12(d)27(i)69(z)69(z)27(i)29(o)36(n)15(e) 15(e)57(t) 12(d)15(e) 30(l)3(a) 42(p)48(r)29(o)v(60)27(i)54(s)27(i)29(o)36(n)
15(e) 15(e)30(l)30(l)3(a) 30(l)29(o)54(s)3(a)42(p)48(r)3(a)
The plaintext is:
--lambasciadore nostro ritornato pochi giorni
sono di spagna raconto in senato li molti disgusti
che quelli ministri pretendono ricevere di qua sen
dosi vista tanta alienazione dal servizio di Midas con t
anti segni apparenti et particolarmente che si conp
orti qui persone che avisino e ragguaglino costi
tutto quanto passa in italia spettante alle cose di Midas
arte spagno lesca che vogliono inferire altro pero e
bene la ne sia auisata hieri laltro due barche di finale pr
esero la fregata delli guardiani del commerzio con tut
ti li huomini che vierano sopra quali sono stati
mandati ligati a milano per havere essa riconosciuto
un vascello carico di olio che veniua al detto luogo
il quale uascello non haveva la licenza cosi fu preso et
per dispetto fecero armare lesudette duebarche a pi
gliarla cosa che da estrem[e?] dolore alla terra trattan
dosi de turbata jurisdizzione et de la provision
e ella losapra
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