Mark Koltko-Rivera

Cryptography offers you the chance to solve all kinds of puzzles. Use basic solving techniques to crack substitution ciphers, including the Freemason’s cipher. Encode your own messages, decode incoming communications, and have fun trying to figure out conspiracies, codes, and cryptograms!Cryptography 101: Basic solving techniques for substitution ciphersIt doesn’t matter whether a cryptogram presents you with letters, numbers, arcane symbols, lines and dots, or weird alien squiggles — if you’re asked to replace each letter in the alphabet with another symbol, you’re dealing with a simple substitution cipher.

There are many distinctive ciphers used by the Freemasons in times past. The Cypher of the Rose Croix (used in Tricky Masonic Cipher 1) is one of these old sets of symbols. Sometimes Masonic ciphers have keywords. A keyword is written into the top of the ‘pigpen’ grid, with two letters per box. The remaining letters are then written into the rest of the boxes in pairs.

Freemasons have used ciphers since at least the 18th century. The Freemason’s Cipher is sometimes called the Pigpen Cipher, because the alphabet is written into a grid of lines, which may look like pigpens, and a cross shape from two diagonal lines. A letter is enciphered by drawing the shape of the cell that encompasses it.

It doesn’t matter whether a cryptogram presents you with letters, numbers, arcane symbols, lines and dots, or weird alien squiggles — if you’re asked to replace each letter in the alphabet with another symbol, you’re dealing with a simple substitution cipher. All substitution ciphers can be cracked by using the following tips: Scan through the cipher, looking for single-letter words.

Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies has something extra — a secret word within the book for you to discover! This secret word isn’t listed in the Hints or Answers, and it isn’t mentioned anywhere within the book. The only way you can discover it is by solving the puzzles. Here are a few pointers to get you started on the trail: The secret word occurs as a keyword within one of the substitution cryptograms.

Printing out this page will make it easier to solve these cryptograms. Drawing a light vertical pencil line between the words in a symbol cipher makes it easier for you to see the words and letter patterns. Medium Symbol Cipher 1. Adapted from a story told about the last days of traitor Benedict Arnold (who died in 1801): Medium Symbol Cipher 1 Hint Medium Symbol Cipher 1 Answer Medium Symbol Cipher 2.

These number substitution cryptograms come from a variety of sources, from ancient times to the modern day. Use your letter frequency skills to crack them! You can find more tips on how to crack cryptograms on the Cracking Codes & Cryptograms For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Tricky Number Cipher 1. The numbers in this cipher have been randomly assigned as any two digit number between 01 and 99.

Even though these number substitution cryptograms may look terribly confusing, they can be solved with exactly the same strategies as letter substitution puzzles. The numbers within one encrypted word are linked by a dot or a dash. Keep a close eye out for the spaces between words and punctuation. Look for the most frequently occurring numbers, which will probably be E, T and A.

These symbol substitution ciphers are extra tricky, but don’t let the level of difficulty dissuade you! You can be quite proud of yourself if you crack these puzzles! Hard Symbol Cipher 1. Be careful: This Illuminati cipher has different symbols for upper- and lower-case letters. The message is from noted Freemason, Albert Pike: Hard Symbol Cipher 1 Hint Hard Symbol Cipher 1 Answer Hard Symbol Cipher 2.