IN last week's article we described one of the many types of price mark ciphers used by storekeepers in marking the cost and selling prices of their merchandise. In this article we will show how such a system can be deciphered, using last week's Cipher No. 159, reprinted below, for the purpose.
CTWR OWW DWW WNW —————— —————— —————— —————— $32.50 $4.50 $8.00 $9.00 XEWR DOW CWR OER —————— —————— —————— —————— $17.50 $4.00 $2.75 $4.50 XTWR IWR —————— —————— $15.00 $10.00
In the above cipher, as stated last week, a ten-letter word or phrase was used as key to the ten digits, each letter fixedly signifying one figure and no other, and a given figure always being represented by the same letter.
In other words, in this system we have the simple substitution principle applied to the ten digits instead of the ordinary alphabet.
In literal ciphers of this type, for example, certain finals, as E, S, T, and so on, and certain suffixes, such as -ED, -ING, et cetera, can usually be determined by frequency and comparison. Here the finals 5 and 0, and the terminations 25, 50, 75, and 00, are among those which can be found in the same way, especially if the prices run into three or more figures.
Thus trying the finals R and W for 5 and 0, and the two-letter terminals WW, WR, ER, NW, and OY. for 25, 50, 75, and 00, we find that WW cannot be 00, since by this supposition the first figure in the fourth group would have to be a zero. Hence, it is probable that W=5 and R=0.
Having tentatively assumed that W=5, the terminals NW and OW can now be tried for 25 and 75. The initial letters in groups two and six seem to indicate that O=2. Hence, it may be assumed that N=7. In this way we have already placed four letters of the key. And these may now be used in determining other values.
For example, the C in CWR, which might have represented 1 or 2, is now limited to C=1. Likewise, in group three, D is probably 4. And in group ten, I more than likely 6. Summing up, our key now stands, CO-DWIN--R, into which it is not a difficult matter to fit T and E, and to supply the missing letter for 3, thereby obtaining the full key, "Cold winter," shown below. X, which in many ciphers of this kind is used to represent repeated figures, Is here employed merely as a null prefix.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 C O L D W I N T E R
This type of cipher can also be solved by treating the letters of the key as an anagram.
The relative order of the letters in a key of the above type can also be approximately established in the initial letters of the price marks by arranging the latter in the numerical order of the prices.
This week's price mark cipher, No. 162, is somewhat more difficult than the above. Two different keys have been used; one above the line for cost prices, and the other below the line for selling prices.
Last week's straight substitution cipher. No. 158, by L. J. Talbot, conveyed the message: "Dear Friends: This cipher is my first attempt, so please don't be too hard on me."
Cipher No. 160, by Philip J. Crotty, carried its own key, the letters of the key and enciphered message being alternated by twos in the cryptogram. The key: "Although it's very apparent, strange things appear." The message : "I thought that I had concealed this, my real message."
In encipherment, the letters of the message (a) and key (c) are replaced by their numerical equivalents in the straight l-to-26, A-to-Z, alphabet, as shown at (b) and (d) respectively. The sums (e) of these numbers—less 26 when in excess of that number— are then replaced by letters, as shown at (f). In the completed cipher (g) the letters of (c) and (f) are alternated by pairs, and grouped by threes.
(a) I T H O U G H T ...
(b) 9 20 8 15 21 7 8 20 ...
(c) A L T H O U G H ...
(d) 1 12 20 8 15 21 7 8 ...
———————————————————————————
(e) 10 32 28 23 36 28 15 28 ...
(f) J F B W J B O B ...
(g) ALJ FTH BWO UJB GHO B ...
Decipherment is merely the reversal of the process just described, key lettervalues being subtracted;from message letter values, adding 26 to the latter whenever necessary. The "catch" to this cipher is that the solver, finding the key interspersed through the cryptogram, would take it for the message and assume that the other letters were only nulls. Did you fall for it?
Turning to this week's ciphers, besides No. 162 already mentioned, we also have a fine straight substitution cipher of the question and answer type by C. E. Roe, and an interesting numerical cipher by F. J. Heckel.
The first of these looks like it might be a message in Dutch or some other foreign language. But you will be "in Dutch" if you take Mr. Roe's answer literally. The two parts of this cipher use different alphabets.
In Mr. Heckel's cipher most of the letters have more than one symbol. The system is based on the calendar months, and is very simple. Each number stands for a letter of the message. With the key you can read it without pencil and paper. The message concerns your favorite magazine. See if you can work out the key and decipher the message.
CIPHER No. 161, by C. E. Roe, Hudson, Massachusetts.
Question: VOT AU GOBURSTY YUMES? Answer: ISMULES FOSK WHAT HAF OAT FA MOST FAIUMMA.
CIPHER No. 162.
PHX AUN SH BRH BIH IHX ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— YTI TIX YBT DTI EIX PTI PIH PBI PAR ISR UTI PXH ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— BOX BTI BIX OTI MIX PXT BNI RHX RU ——— ——— ——— TXI RMT OI
CIPHER No. 163, by F. J. Heckel, Bradford. Pennsylvania.
21-45-17-13-111-85-230-22-127-110-73-28-44- 91-26-83-101-104-121-31-52-83-15-260-44-13- 106-121-64-86-114-34-103-44-113-122-21-44- 102-94-44-112-63-230-44-94-35-103-35-95-86- 35-33-44-73-45-104-21-86-118-62-103-35-44- 91-41-73-230-32-53-85-44-111-86-117-27-91- 86-44-63-83.