Cipher Challenge
Tyler's Cryptograph to Poe
Introduction
A letter signed W. B. Tyler challenged Edgar Allan Poe with this symbol cipher in *Graham's Magazine* in December 1841. The source's text transcription uses Þ and ⊥ for two inverted printer's marks. Corrected 1841 cryptograph and solution
1
, † § : ‡] [ ,? ‡) , [ ¡ ¶? , † ,) ¡ , § [ ¶
26
Þ , [ ,: ¶! [ . § ( , † § ¡ || (? ⊥? , * * (
51
⊥ ⊥ ¡ ( [ , ¶ * . ⊥ [ § ¶ § ¡ . ¶] ¿ , † § [ ? (
76
§ [ : : ( † [ . ⊥ ( *; ( || ( , † § ¡ ‡ [ * : ,
101
[! ¶ † || ] ? * ! ¶ ⊥ † § ¶ || , . ( ⊥ ¡ ( , ?
126
‡ § ( ¡ ☜ ¡ ¶ [ ¡ ¶ [ ? ( , ; § ‡ ☞ ‡] † § §: (
151
† [ † [ ¶? ‡]: * ¡ ¶: ( § ? ] ! ! ¶ † § ‡ ] ;
176
§ ? ‡ † ¡ ‡ ⊥ ¶! ( , † §? ( || * ] [ § ¡ ’ ! ,
201
: , , † § ☜ ) , ? || *]? , § § (! ⊥ ¡ ( , † §
226
† [ ‡ ? ) * ] [ ⊥ : ? ] ||