Cryptanalysis 2: The Caesar Shift Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

Wayfinder: Archived

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Hidden : 8/9/2005
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

I spent the past few months participating in a national treasure hunt with the book A Treasure’s Trove, in which 12 jewels were actually hidden in U.S. parks for readers to find. Clues to their locations could be deciphered from the illustrations and the text. It was for this reason I bought a few books on cryptanalysis, and I’m now sharing what I learned.

NOTE: As of 8/19/05, the coordinates have changed. This will affect the solution for the puzzle, so please note the new posted coordinates.
This series is a study in Cryptanalysis, the solution & reading of cryptic messages. After one week, the method for solution will be added to the description along with an example. The cache is not at the above coordinates.
8/18/05: End of week one. There were four finders in the first week. Congratulations to the "one week wonders:" mtmitchellbound, Punctatus, pcmike, & footTRAX. Here's the method for solution....

Cryptanalysis 2: The Caesar Shift
The Caesar Shift is among the oldest of cipher alphabets, having been used by Julius Caesar himself. An example of simple substitution, it's really no more than a shifting of the normal alphabet to a new point of beginning. A Caesar shift of +3, for example, means that the alphabet is shifted forward 3, and the letter 'A' in a plaintext (unenciphered) message is substituted with the letter 'D'; B=E, C=F, etc. Using this example, the word "Caesar" will be enciphered as "FDHVDU."
Conversely, to decipher a cryptogram, one must move backward through the alphabet the same number of spaces. Say the letters "URPH" are found in an enciphered message. Using the same example of a Caesar shift of +3, moving backward 3 letters from the 'U' yields an 'R.' The word deciphers as "Rome." Unless you're adept at saying the alphabet backwards, it's advisable to write out the key as follows:

A Caesar shift of +3


If one is presented with a cryptogram with no indication of how much the alphabet is shifted, decryptment is possible using a method called, "running down the alphabet." Write out the first eight or ten letters, then advance the alphabet shift once on each line below it until recognizable words appear:

"Running Down the Alphabet" - Example


This is actually a shift of +23, where A=X. Knowing this, you can write out the key and decipher the rest of the message. Admittedly, "running down the alphabet" can be a time-consuming process; however, shifting through all of the 25 remaining alphabets is guaranteed to reveal the hidden message.
For those who like shortcuts, there is a subtle clue in this puzzle's picture below which indicates the number to shift. There is also a red herring (a non-clue which may lead you the wrong direction), so be cautious.
Note: Don't be thrown off by the groupings of five. This is a standard enciphering technique which eliminates the likelihood of hidden messages being guessed at based on the lengths of words.

The story so far... A geocacher named 1GeoWulf, a mountain climber from Colorado, was featured in a newspaper article about geocaching. It had been rumored that he leaves a valuable first-to-find item in the caches he places, but another mysterious geocacher always seems to be the first finder--seemingly as soon as (or sometimes before) the cache listing is posted.

With help from an anonymous partner, you discovered that 1GeoWulf arranged for a hidden message to be placed in the newspaper article, revealing to the intended recipient the location of his next cache (see Cryptanalysis 1). Your work in deciphering the message allowed for your partner to arrive at the cache first and discover the valuable first-to-find item: an ancient Roman coin.

You’ve now been sent the coin itself to examine, as well as the results of your partner’s further sleuthing. He (or she) has established that Jacob Rabon, before his mountain-climbing and geocaching days, was a dealer of coins. Examining the logs of 1GeoWulf’s caches reveals that for his last eight placements, a geocacher named “Numismatist” was always the first finder. He, apparently, has collected a Roman Coin from each of these finds. This Numismatist character has placed some caches of his own. Your partner located the logbook from a cache recently placed by Numismatist, and “borrowed” a page with 1GeoWulf’s log and some cryptic letters. Seems he’s trying another way to send a secret message.

If you’re able to decrypt this message and find the cache before Numismatist, you’ll find 1GeoWulf’s FTF item: an ancient Roman coin from around 370 A.D., featuring the ruler Valentinian I. Hold this 1,600 year old coin in your hand and just imagine through whose hands it has passed and what it has bought.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[For which trail to take:] Vs lbh fbyirq Pelcgnanylfvf 1, hfr gung fbyhgvba nf n thvqr. [For locating the cache:] Haqre fznyy snyyra gerr. Zbir zbff nfvqr.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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