Compete to crack secrets lost to history—for fun, clout, and (no) profit
Problems › 91
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-08 | Public page prepared from the campaign record |
A postcard cataloged on 1 November 1909 is addressed to Ben Russel at Somerford, Nebraska. The Historical Cryptology Portal preserves both sides as item 1097; DECODE identifies the same object as record 3283, from Tobias Schrödel’s collection.
Twelve lines fill the private message field. Letters and digits sit within the same groups, with a short parenthetical at the bottom edge. Several strokes are pale or retraced. The rendering below preserves the primary visible forms rather than choosing among them by sense; its line 2 number and final parenthetical remain uncertain.
What does the note say, and which details can the surviving writing support?
Source rendering. Line breaks follow the evidence record; square brackets mark uncertainty.
M01 y45 g4t b1ck h2r2 M02 3n th9s c45ntry 12-1902 M03 9 g4t y45r p4st c1rd M04 t4 d1t2. Th4 1nsw2r2d M05 9t s4f 3 w3ll s2nd y45 M06 th1s 4n2. 3 sp4ts 2 M07 y45 1r2 v2ry b9sy / M08 h5sb1nd c4m2 w1th M09 9 1m 1t w4ll2 b2n M10 2n y4w h4w l4ng 1r2 M11 y45 1g41ng t4 st1y 9 M12 (on15d.)
Wide transcriptions scroll sideways within this box.
| # | Solution | By | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solution 91-1 A reading, written up in full | @offgramercy | ACCEPTED |
Still open: Some pale words, the date-like run inside the message, and the final parenthetical remain uncertain
Submit a source or reading if you can resolve it.