Poe Challenge Mystery Cache

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Hidden : 10/29/2006
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Like other literary figures of his time, Edgar Allan Poe had an intense interest in cryptography. Although he never revealed his methods, Poe believed that breaking ciphers and other enigmas required the straightforward application of reason and logic.

In terms of his cryptographic interests, Poe is best known for his famous challenge, issued in December 1839 in Alexander's Weekly Messenger, that he could solve any simple substitution cipher that readers of the magazine cared to submit. A simple substitution cipher is one in which the same symbol stands for the same letter of the alphabet in the concealed message. Poe's challenge also insisted that the cryptograms preserve the word boundaries.

In his own words, Poe's challenge is stated as follows:

"It would be by no means a labor lost to show how great a degree of rigid method enters into enigma-guessing. This may sound oddly; but it is not more strange than the well known fact that rules really exist, by means of which it is easy to decipher any species of hieroglyphical writing -- that is to say writing where, in place of alphabetical letters, any kind of marks are made use of at random. For example, in place of A put % or any other arbitrary character --in place of B, a *, etc., etc. Let an entire alphabet be made in this manner, and then let this alphabet be used in any piece of writing. This writing can be read by means of a proper method. Let this be put to the test. Let any one address us a letter in this way, and we pledge ourselves to read it forthwith--however unusual or arbitrary may be the characters employed. "

Between December 1839 and May 1840, Poe appears to have solved all of the ciphers submitted to Alexander's. He himself claimed that "out of, perhaps, one hundred ciphers altogether received, there was only one which we did not immediately succeed in solving. This one we demonstrated to be an imposition -- that is to say we fully proved it a jargon of random characters, having no meaning whatsoever."

Below is a sample paragraph I took from the internet to which I added information for the correct coordinates. With a straightforward application of reason and logic you can solve the puzzle. Poe did it and you can too!

Be the first to solve it and you will take home the $1.00 FTF prize. Bring your own writing instrument.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Pbzznf, crevbqf, ulcuraf naq fcnprf erznva hapunatrq. Jbeq #2 unf frira yrggref abg fvk. Jung ybbxf yvxr n qvnzbaq funcr vf gjb punenpgref .

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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