The Unsolved Catalogue — 54 open targets, scored

The catalogue

Search importance solvability ease

click a column to sort, a row to expand● viewed on the image◇ catalogue description onlygold dots importance / solvabilityred dots difficulty

Priority	Date	Item	Shelfmark	Class
7.5	14 May – 4 Aug 1593no. 20	● Papal-side letters: Sega, Baudouin-Desportes, Mauclerc attempted, openWritten in the week of Henri IV's abjuration (25 Jul 1593) and the truce of Suresnes.	BnF fr. 3984 nos. 6, 8, 88 (f. 186), 90 (f. 189); fr. 3985 no. 7 btv1b9060633d · btv1b90606498	A
Correspondents. memoir → Cardinal Sega; Baudouin-Desportes → Pietro Aldobrandini and → Girolamo Frachetta; Dr Mauclerc → Creil · Paris → Rome · Italian, French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3984 nos. 6, 8, 88 (f. 186), 90 (f. 189); fr. 3985 no. 7 · btv1b9060633d · btv1b90606498 Status and prior art. Attempted 17 Sept 2026, not read. Tomokiyo's League polyphonic cipher (mayenne.htm) is the key; f. 188 (mostly clear, cipher on the verso) is the original of the deciphered f. 184-185, and f. 176 of f. 177. f. 186 is a clear letter with c. 58 lines of cipher passages, f. 189 one page wholly in cipher (33 lines): c. 5,000 polyphonic glyphs. A classifier trained on the 1,100 aligned glyphs of f. 188v reads 75-79 % of held-out glyphs, hand reading c. 70 %; the polyphonic decoder needs over 90 %, and no verbatim crib from f. 185 occurs in f. 189 or f. 186v (local-alignment search against a shuffled control). fr. 3985 no. 7 not examined. Why it matters. Written in the week of Henri IV's abjuration (25 Jul 1593) and the truce of Suresnes. Scores. Scores as first assigned; closed as not solvable with the present tools, see targets/sega1593/NOTES.md. Verify first. Reopen with a paleographic transcription of f. 177 (to train on f. 176, 90 more lines) or a human glyph transcription of ff. 186/189; decoder and period LM are ready.
7.5	12 Mar 1576no. 342	◇ David Ungnad, imperial ambassador at Constantinople, to Maximilian II: a despatch wholly in cipher attempted, open: blocked, no image of the despatch online; key found (DECODE R392) (23 Sept 2026, targets/ungnad1576/) new 22 SeptAn imperial ambassador's full despatch from the Porte, five folios in one system.	HHStA Wien, Türkei I Kt. 32 Konv. 3, ff. 199-203 (key: OSZK Quart. Lat. 2254 f. 23 = DECODE R392) Láng 2015 (MTA doktori mű) · DECODE R392 (key)	C
Correspondents. David Ungnad von Sonnegg → Emperor Maximilian II · Constantinople → Vienna · German Shelfmark. HHStA Wien, Türkei I Kt. 32 Konv. 3, ff. 199-203 (key: OSZK Quart. Lat. 2254 f. 23 = DECODE R392) · Láng 2015 (MTA doktori mű) · DECODE R392 (key) Status and prior art. Listed as undeciphered in Benedek Láng's 2015 inventory (C.Ung.03, 'német?', wholly in cipher); Ungnad's German despatches of Jan and Aug 1577 were deciphered at the time (C.Ung.04-05). Session of 23 Sept 2026 (targets/ungnad1576/): Ungnad's key found on DECODE as R392 (Gévay's copy, OSZK Quart. Lat. 2254 f. 23r-v) and transcribed (KEY.md: monoalphabetic sign alphabet, 11 German digraph/umlaut signs, ~48 nomenclator entries, no homophones). The despatch is not online: ÖStA Archivinformationssystem Türkei I 32-3 (ID 3855252, fol. 1-304) has no scans or item records; not on DECODE or HCPortal; Láng 2015/2018 print neither letter nor key. Why it matters. An imperial ambassador's full despatch from the Porte, five folios in one system. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Order HHStA reproductions of Türkei I 32-3 ff. 199-203 (and 34-3 ff. 3-11, 16-17, the deciphered Jan 1577 despatches, as a control); then map the signs onto targets/ungnad1576/KEY.md. If the key does not fit, break ciphertext-only (German, monoalphabetic).
6.9	3–7 Sept 1578no. 343	◇ Johann Joachim von Sinzendorff, Constantinople, to Rudolf II: despatch wholly in cipher attempted, open: blocked, no image of the despatch online; candidate keys DECODE R1384 (Breuner 1575) and R392 (Ungnad) transcribed (24 Sept 2026, targets/sinzendorff1578/) new 22 SeptEight folios of imperial diplomacy at the Porte during the Persian war.	HHStA Wien, Türkei I Kt. 37 Konv. 2, ff. 1-8 Láng 2015 (MTA doktori mű) · DECODE R1384 (Breuner key 1575)	C
Correspondents. Johann Joachim von Sinzendorff → Emperor Rudolf II · Constantinople → Prague · German Shelfmark. HHStA Wien, Türkei I Kt. 37 Konv. 2, ff. 1-8 · Láng 2015 (MTA doktori mű) · DECODE R1384 (Breuner key 1575) Status and prior art. Listed undeciphered by Láng 2015 (C.Sin.03, German, wholly in cipher); Sinzendorff's and Breuner's joint German despatches of Mar and May 1581 (C.Sin.01-02, Türkei I 43-3 and 44-2) were deciphered at the time. Session of 24 Sept 2026 (targets/sinzendorff1578/): the despatch is not online (ÖStA AIS Türkei I 37-2, ID 3855633, fol. 1-313, no scans; not on DECODE or HCPortal; no edition). No key endorsed for Sinzendorff among DECODE's HHStA Chiffrenschlüssel; the series' Constantinople key of 1575, 'Ciffra pro Dno Joanne Preyner' (DECODE R1384, unnamed there), identified and transcribed, with Ungnad's R392 the two candidate keys. Why it matters. Eight folios of imperial diplomacy at the Porte during the Persian war. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Order HHStA reproductions of Türkei I 37-2 ff. 1-8 with no. 342 (and 43-3, 44-2 of 1581, deciphered, as controls); try keys R392 (targets/ungnad1576/key_r392.txt) and R1384 (targets/sinzendorff1578/key_r1384.txt); else break ciphertext-only (German).
6.0	1414no. 335	◇ Florence, letters to the Signoria in the cipher of 1414 (Gabbrielli's partial key, letters never read) attempted, open: blocked, no image of the letters online (23 Sept 2026, targets/florence1414/) new 22 SeptThe oldest Florentine cipher letters; a full reading would beat the project's 1425 record by eleven years.	ASF, Signori, Responsive originali, filza 1 (key: ASF Chiavi delle cifre II, pars 3 no. 1) Meister 1902 (ULB Münster)	B
Correspondents. unknown Florentine envoy or commissary → Signoria / Dieci di Balìa · ? → Florence · Italian Shelfmark. ASF, Signori, Responsive originali, filza 1 (key: ASF Chiavi delle cifre II, pars 3 no. 1) · Meister 1902 (ULB Münster) Status and prior art. Meister 1902 p. 49 prints "Florenz, Beispiele 1: Cifra Decemviri di Balia 1414 (Lettere della Signoria risponsive; filza Nr. 1)", a partial homophonic alphabet Gabbrielli rebuilt in 1864 from glossed words (several letters blank; per = 8, et = f, che = dum). No sender or folio given; no reading of the letters printed (Guasti's Commissioni has nothing for 1414). The same situation as florence1429, where Gabbrielli's 1424 table read only glossed words. Session of 23 Sept 2026 (targets/florence1414/): key transcribed (KEY.md, 38 signs); 'filza 1' is an old number (today's Signori Responsive 1 is 1340), so the letters are probably in Signori Responsive 7-8 or Signori-Dieci-Otto, Legazioni e commissarie, missive e responsive 8; not on DECODE, Yale Ilardi reels or ASF PAD. Outgoing registers Legazioni e commissarie 5-6 (PAD) scanned: clear, no cipher; reg. 6 ff. ~35-52 are the 1414 instructions (candidate senders). Why it matters. The oldest Florentine cipher letters; a full reading would beat the project's 1425 record by eleven years. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Oldest-cipher candidate: earlier than the project's record (1425) if read. Verify first. Order from ASF: Gabbrielli vol. II pars 3 no. 1 (key page with his list of letters used) and the vol. II index, then the letters (likely Signori Responsive 7-8 or Legazioni e commissarie, missive e responsive 8). Then read as in florence1429.
6.0	1421 (no. 1); 29 letters 15th–16th c.no. 336	◇ Siena, "Lettere in cifra" of the Concistoro: the unread pieces (no. 1 of 1421 unphotographed; two long systems, nos. 6/24 and 20/23; short pieces) attempted, open new 22 SeptA 1421 letter would beat the 1425 record; the other 28 are a sizeable, never-studied Sienese corpus with 42 keys beside them.	Archivio di Stato di Siena, Concistoro 2308, fasc. 2 "Lettere in cifra": no. 1 (1421), 2, 26-28 (not on DECODE); nos. 6, 24 (R4795, R4812); 20, 23 (R4808, R4811); 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21 (R4796, R4798, R4800, R4803, R4805, R4807, R4809) Concistoro inventory 1952 (PDF) · Ilardi reel 1503 (keys)	B
Correspondents. Sienese envoys and others → the Concistoro of Siena · various → Siena · Italian Shelfmark. Archivio di Stato di Siena, Concistoro 2308, fasc. 2 "Lettere in cifra": no. 1 (1421), 2, 26-28 (not on DECODE); nos. 6, 24 (R4795, R4812); 20, 23 (R4808, R4811); 7, 9, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21 (R4796, R4798, R4800, R4803, R4805, R4807, R4809) · Concistoro inventory 1952 (PDF) · Ilardi reel 1503 (keys) Status and prior art. The whole busta is on DECODE (keys R4746-R4789, letters R4790-R4814; found 24 Sept 2026). Of the 25 pieces photographed: nos. 8, 10, 13/16 read at the time; no. 25 key recovered ciphertext-only and read (96%); no. 14 key recovered ciphertext-only, read in part; no. 4 (Borghesi to Benvoglienti, Naples 12 May 1456) key rebuilt from a fragment on the letter, read in part; nos. 6/24 and 20/23 (two systems, ~9,000 tokens) and nos. 7, 11, 17, 19, 21 open. No. 1 (1421) and nos. 2, 26-28 are not among the DECODE photographs. See targets/siena1421/. Why it matters. A 1421 letter would beat the 1425 record; the other 28 are a sizeable, never-studied Sienese corpus with 42 keys beside them. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Oldest-cipher candidate: earlier than the project's record (1425) if read. Verify first. Order fasc. 2 from ASSi; first try the 42 filed keys on every letter, and treat those they do not read as solve targets.
5.9	7/17 Jan 1637no. 338	● Cipher in lower-case letters at the foot of Otto von der Malsburg's letter of 7/17 January 1637 (the letters themselves deciphered here) attempted, open new 22 SeptA second cipher enclosed in a Hessian commissary's report of January 1637, perhaps in Sixtinus's key; the only unread piece of the file.	Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 4 h Nr. 1411, f. 12, foot (HCPortal record 497) HCPortal image, f. 12 · Write-up of the letters	C
Correspondents. Otto von der Malsburg → the councillors of Landgrave Wilhelm V at Kassel · Westphalia / Münster → Kassel · German Shelfmark. Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 4 h Nr. 1411, f. 12, foot (HCPortal record 497) · HCPortal image, f. 12 · Write-up of the letters Status and prior art. The ten Malsburg letters of HStAM 4 h 1411 (HCPortal 496-509) were deciphered here on 28 Sept 2026 (key recovered from the ciphertext alone, 95.9% of 9,736 groups; targets/malsburg1637/, write-up malsburg1637.html). Left open: ten lines (531 letters, with 43, 45 and an LL sign) in lower-case letters at the foot of f. 12, margin note "E: Sixt: cla:" (perhaps 'from Sixtinus's key'). IC 0.052, flat at periods 1-15; not simple, homophonic, Caesar, or any letter key among the 176 HCPortal Marburg key records. Why it matters. A second cipher enclosed in a Hessian commissary's report of January 1637, perhaps in Sixtinus's key; the only unread piece of the file. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Look for a letter key used by or with Wilhelm Burchard Sixtinus (Hamburg, Bremen, Hildesheim, 1635-37) among the Marburg key volumes not on HCPortal (Arcinsys).
5.5	4 May 1672no. 341	◇ Hesse-Kassel and Denmark, letter with enciphered passages (partly solved on HCPortal) new 22 SeptThe year of the Dutch War; a completion job with a partial reading to anchor it.	Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 4 f Dänemark Nr. 125, ff. 2-4 (HCPortal record 494) HCPortal record 494	B
Correspondents. unknown → unknown (Hesse-Kassel / Danish court) · Copenhagen? → Kassel · German Shelfmark. Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 4 f Dänemark Nr. 125, ff. 2-4 (HCPortal record 494) · HCPortal record 494 Status and prior art. HCPortal: "Partially solved"; three images online. What part is read and by whom is not stated on the record. Why it matters. The year of the Dutch War; a completion job with a partial reading to anchor it. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Find the partial solution (HCPortal record, Antal et al. HistoCrypt 2023) before starting.
5.0	23 Jul 1559no. 87	◇ Henry Percy to Secretary Cecil attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Henry Percy to Secretary Cecil, 23 Jul 1559; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 4136 f 172 DECODE R9256 · Write-up	A
Correspondents. Henry Percy → Secretary Cecil · Norham Castle · English (probably) Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 4136 f 172 · DECODE R9256 · Write-up Status and prior art. DECODE R9256: the image is a Forbes Papers tracing of the four cipher passages only (63 signs, box script with dot/underline marks) plus an unrelated Sturmius key (R9257). Attempted 21 Sept 2026, not read: no single substitution fits and no key survives in the volume. Calendared (CSP Foreign I 1051; Bain, CSP Scotland I 501: 'a few words in cipher, deciphered by Cecill'); the decipherment is on the original, TNA SP 52/1. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Henry Percy to Secretary Cecil, 23 Jul 1559; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Get the TNA SP 52/1 original of 23 July 1559 (Cecil's interlined decipherment) or of Kirkcaldy's 1 July letter with Percy's cipher postscript (plaintext in Laing, Knox Works VI 33-35).
5.0	9 Mar 1519no. 157	◇ Giuliano Caprile (Eger) to Bonaventura Pistofilo, 9 March 1519 attempted, openA Ferrarese agent at Eger, the Hungarian see held by Ippolito d'Este, writing to Ferrara in 1519–21 on Hungarian affairs on the eve of Mohács.	ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/23, 1, Envoy reports, Ferrara DECODE R1128	B
Correspondents. Giuliano Caprile → Bonaventura Pistofilo / Alfonso I 'Este · Eger, Hungary · Italian Shelfmark. ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/23, 1, Envoy reports, Ferrara · DECODE R1128 Status and prior art. DECODE R1128: seven lines in Caprile's 1519 two-tier cipher (a small letter over a base sign), no decipherment. Worked 21 Sept 2026: the rest of the item (R1129–R1139) is resolved, see targets/caprile1519/ (1882 decipherments filed as b/c on Vestigia; R1138 read by Somogyi 2025; R1136 and R1139 read in part with a key rebuilt from her text). Subject, from the clear part and the next letter: Caprile's own lawsuit at Rome. Key obtainable from the 1882 decipherments of nos. 3–8 and 10. Why it matters. A Ferrarese agent at Eger, the Hungarian see held by Ippolito d'Este, writing to Ferrara in 1519–21 on Hungarian affairs on the eve of Mohács. Scores. Reviewed by hand 19 Sept 2026 from DECODE's metadata and the literature; leaf not viewed. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
5.0	25 Jul 1520no. 158	◇ Alfonso Cistarelli (Eger) to Ippolito I d'Este attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Alfonso Cistarelli to Ippolito I d'Este, 25 Jul 1520; what the cipher hides is not known.	ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/26, 3, Envoy reports, Ferrara DECODE R1137	B
Correspondents. Alfonso Cistarelli → Ippolito I d'Este · Eger, Hungary · Italian Shelfmark. ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/26, 3, Envoy reports, Ferrara · DECODE R1137 Status and prior art. DECODE R1137: Partially decrypted, 3 pp., type not given; numerical; images login. Not viewed here. DECODE note: The image is not in the public domain. Publishing it is only possible with the permission of the archive. See other related manuscripts on http://vestigia.hu/kereses. Attempted 21 Sept 2026 (targets/caprile1519/): two-digit groups mostly ending in 5 or 0 (584 groups + 83 signs); a ciphertext-only anneal gives a partial key and phrases (lettere per, presto, saria meglio, non se poteria, dua milla) but no reading; transcription needs a second reader. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Alfonso Cistarelli to Ippolito I d'Este, 25 Jul 1520; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
5.0	14 Jan 1808no. 226	● Gerard Carel baron van Spaen tot Voorstonden, envoy of the King of Holland (Düsseldorf), to Maarten van der Goes, minister of foreign affairs, 14 and 15 Jan 1808 attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Gerard Carel baron van Spaen tot Voorstonden, ambassador of the King of Holland ar rheCourt of Westphalia to Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826), agent van staat, later minister voor de buitenlandse betrekkingen, 14 Jan 1808; what the cipher hides is not known.	NA The Hague, 02.01.08., Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, 1796-1810, inv. nr. 281 DECODE R1941	B
Correspondents. G. C. van Spaen tot Voorstonden, envoy of the King of Holland → Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826), minister of foreign affairs · Düsseldorf, Westphalia · French Shelfmark. NA The Hague, 02.01.08., Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, 1796-1810, inv. nr. 281 · DECODE R1941 Status and prior art. DECODE R1941, viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/spaen1808/). Two items: the letter of 14 Jan 1808 (228 groups) and an annex of 15 Jan (75 groups; DECODE images P1 and P2 are two photos of the same page). Plain numerical code, groups 15-1339, no marks, dashes as separators; clear openings and closings in Dutch. No decipherment on the images, and DECODE holds no key for it (the 1798 and 1803 Croiset books R1891/R1035 do not fit). DECODE's 'annex solved' has no reading attached to the record. Not in Colenbrander, Gedenkstukken V (searched). 303 groups, 222 distinct, from a code of 1,300+ entries: not breakable without the key. NA inventory: inv. 281 = letters of J.F.G. van Spaen and G. van Riemsdijk, commissioners for the takeover of the ceded districts (Lijmers, Huissen, Malburgen, Zevenaar), 1806-09; Düsseldorf = Grand Duchy of Berg, not Westphalia. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Gerard Carel baron van Spaen tot Voorstonden, ambassador of the King of Holland ar rheCourt of Westphalia to Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826), agent van staat, later minister voor de buitenlandse betrekkingen, 14 Jan 1808; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Find the King of Holland's 1806-10 legation code (NA 2.01.08 BuZa 1796-1810, or the Spaen/Van der Goes papers), or ask the DECODE record owner for the annex reading, which would give about 70 values.
5.0	1581no. 296	◇ Walsingham's 1581 enclosure to Somers new 22 SeptAn intercept Walsingham sent his decipherer, still unread; the L'Abbadia letter first catalogued here (R3837) was read at the time.	TNA SP 53/11 (DECODE R3839, R3840) DECODE R3839 · DECODE R3840	B
Correspondents. Francis Walsingham → John Somers (enclosure) · Portugal → France · French Shelfmark. TNA SP 53/11 (DECODE R3839, R3840) · DECODE R3839 · DECODE R3840 Status and prior art. SP 53/11 no. 35 (DECODE R3837) is Somer's own deciphering worksheet, so the L'Abbadia letter was read at the time (Tomokiyo, mary.htm). R3839/R3840 belong to a separate item, the 1581 enclosure Walsingham sent to Somers, which is still undeciphered (checked 22 Sept 2026). Why it matters. An intercept Walsingham sent his decipherer, still unread; the L'Abbadia letter first catalogued here (R3837) was read at the time. Scores. Scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026 (catalogue descriptions, Tomokiyo's cryptiana pages, Gallica notices, calendars and recent literature); not yet viewed on the image. Kind: external-read candidate (key or plaintext outside). Verify first. View R3839/R3840; test Somer's known alphabets.
5.0	5 Jan 1652no. 298	● Nuncio Bagno, Paris, to the Secretariat, 1652 attempted, open new 22 SeptThe Fronde from the nunciature. Ranuzzi's 1684–85 letters, first catalogued with it, are printed in Acta Nuntiaturae Gallicae 10 (1973).	AAV Segr. Stato Francia 104 (DECODE R5622) DECODE R5622	B
Correspondents. Niccolò Guidi di Bagno → Secretariat of State · Paris → Rome · Italian Shelfmark. AAV Segr. Stato Francia 104 (DECODE R5622) · DECODE R5622 · ff. 5r-7v; five DECODE images (first leaf clear, four pages of figures) Status and prior art. Attempted, open (22 Sept 2026): five images inspected. The four cipher pages have unseparated decimal figures and occasional clear Italian. Lasry's Francia 346 key is structurally excluded: 6 is its separator, but R5622 repeatedly writes 66 and 666. No DECODE transcription, attached document, online decifrati register, matching sibling or printed edition found; OCR too noisy for a reliable transcript. See targets/bagno1652/ and the write-up. Why it matters. The Fronde from the nunciature. Ranuzzi's 1684–85 letters, first catalogued with it, are printed in Acta Nuntiaturae Gallicae 10 (1973). Scores. Originally scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026. Images and candidate key were checked the same day. A new 1652 key or deciphered register is needed. Verify first. Francia 346 key excluded; seek the Paris nunciature key or Secretariat's decifrati for 1652, then transcribe ff. 6r-7v.
5.0	1706; 1709no. 333	◇ Letters to Hetman Sieniawski and Dresden to Schenck new 22 SeptNews from Bender just after Poltava, and the Altranstädt year.	Archiwum Narodowe Kraków (DECODE R7468–R7500) DECODE R7468	C
Correspondents. various → Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski; Dresden → Schenck · Bender, Dresden → Poland · unknown Shelfmark. Archiwum Narodowe Kraków (DECODE R7468–R7500) · DECODE R7468 Status and prior art. Checked 22 Sept 2026: DECODE R7468-R7500 are N/A with no decryption, and no published reading was found. The records are three groups: Moldavian/Wallachian letters to Sieniawski (incl. Bender news), two unidentified, and 15 Dresden letters to Schenck. Why it matters. News from Bender just after Poltava, and the Altranstädt year. Scores. Scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026 (catalogue descriptions, Tomokiyo's cryptiana pages, Gallica notices, calendars and recent literature); not yet viewed on the image. Kind: uncatalogued pool. Verify first. Check whether the letters share keys.
5.0	27 Oct 1425no. 337	◇ Averardo de' Medici and Piero Guicciardini, Faenza, to the Dieci di Balìa: the letter Albizzi's office could not read attempted, open: blocked, no image of the letter online (24 Sept 2026, targets/medici1425/) new 22 SeptFlorence's war with Milan after Zagonara; same year as the project's oldest reading, and a clean ciphertext-only case.	ASF, Dieci di Balìa, Responsive (1425); copy in Albizzi's letter-book (Guasti, Commissioni II p. 457) Guasti, Commissioni II (archive.org)	C
Correspondents. Averardo de' Medici and Piero Guicciardini → Dieci di Balìa (copy to Rinaldo degli Albizzi) · Faenza → Florence · Italian Shelfmark. ASF, Dieci di Balìa, Responsive (1425); copy in Albizzi's letter-book (Guasti, Commissioni II p. 457) · Guasti, Commissioni II (archive.org) Status and prior art. Guasti prints Albizzi's copy (Commissioni II 457-458), which breaks off at "Quanto più pensiamo etc. quia multa sunt ciferata, nobis ignota"; the Dieci had asked the Rome embassy to return the original. Gabbrielli rebuilt no Florentine key for 1425-29 (Ilardi reel 58 goes from 1424 to 1430). No reading found. Session of 24 Sept 2026 (targets/medici1425/): not on DECODE (all 32 Dieci records R3758-R3789 viewed: filza 7 = 1424 Visconti letters, 8 = 1430, 9 = 1431 clear, 22 later), not on the Yale Ilardi reels; ASF image server unreachable, and the Dieci Responsive are not digitised. MAP I nos. 89-207 and MAP II nos. 1, 375 (1955 inventory) are the commissioners' incoming Faenza letters of Jul-Dec 1425: possible siblings or a draft, not yet seen. Why it matters. Florence's war with Milan after Zagonara; same year as the project's oldest reading, and a clean ciphertext-only case. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Check MAP I nos. 150-207 and MAP II nos. 1, 375 on the ASF site for cipher, key or a clear draft; order ASF photographs of Dieci di Balìa, Responsive, Oct-Nov 1425 (the 27 Oct letter and the commissioners' other Faenza letters). Then test the Ricasoli 1424 key family (targets/florence1429/) before a ciphertext-only attack.
5.0	1629no. 347	◇ States General: "diverse briefjes in cijferschrift" from the Spanish invasion of the Veluwe attempted, open: blocked, not digitised (NA scan-on-request order or reading room only) (28 Sept 2026, targets/sg1629/) new 22 SeptThe year of the siege of 's-Hertogenbosch and Montecuccoli's raid to Amersfoort.	Nationaal Archief 1.01.02 (Staten-Generaal) inv. 12579.26	C
Correspondents. unknown (intercepted or Dutch agents) → States General · Veluwe → The Hague · Dutch / Spanish / French Shelfmark. Nationaal Archief 1.01.02 (Staten-Generaal) inv. 12579.26 Status and prior art. Inventory note: "Bevat diverse briefjes in cijferschrift" (1 pak, 1629; to have gone to the Secret Cash, loket E, but still under the old number). Session of 28 Sept 2026 (targets/sg1629/): not digitised (no scan link on the NA record or in the 1.01.02 EAD, while sibling 12579.122 is scanned); not on DECODE; no copy or decipherment elsewhere in 1.01.02, nothing in the Huygens edition of the Resolutions 1626-1630 or the Gelders Archief catalogue. Images only by an NA scan-on-request order (EUR 16.75 per inventory number) or a reading-room visit. No reading found. Why it matters. The year of the siege of 's-Hertogenbosch and Montecuccoli's raid to Amersfoort. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Order the NA scans of inv. 12579.26 (scan on request) or view it in the reading room; count the notes and systems; use the deputies' clear covering letters and the July-Aug 1629 resolutions as cribs.
4.9	14 Mar 1727no. 74	◇ Palm (London) to Starhemberg, German letter with ciphered passages, 1727 attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Palm to Visconti / Staremberg, 14 Mar 1727; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 32270 (2 items) DECODE R7927 · DECODE R7930	A
Correspondents. Palm → Visconti / Staremberg · Germany · German Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 32270 (2 items) · DECODE R7927 · DECODE R7930 Status and prior art. DECODE R7927-R7930 viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/palm1727/). R7927 ff.16-17: German letter, mostly clear, 14 passages in a homophonic cipher (2-79) with 3-figure codes; a few groups glossed at the time (33=e 23=n 10=d 15=t 40=long s 230=der). R7928 = Windischgrätz-Starhemberg letter key, does not fit. R7930 f.41 = cover of a Palm-Visconti letter + French/Italian 1-500 worksheet; that letter not imaged. 162 letter tokens: 5-gram annealing failed. Needs Palm's key or the Deciphering Branch clear copy. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Palm to Visconti / Staremberg, 14 Mar 1727; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the same volume and the Calendars for the contemporary decipherment first. Fetch the images and the key record(s); test the key on the first lines.
4.9	1628–1658no. 279	◇ Transylvanian cipher letters, Keresdi Bethlen and Kemény collections new 22 SeptTransylvania under George I Rákóczi, around the peace of Linz (1645).	Romanian National Archives, Cluj: Keresdi Bethlen 14–15, Kemény XIX DECODE R4936 · DECODE R4937 · DECODE R4938 · DECODE R4939 · DECODE R4940 · DECODE R4941 · DECODE R4942 · DECODE R4933 · DECODE R4934 · DECODE R4935	C
Correspondents. unknown → unknown (Transylvania) · Transylvania · Hungarian Shelfmark. Romanian National Archives, Cluj: Keresdi Bethlen 14–15, Kemény XIX · DECODE R4936 · DECODE R4937 · DECODE R4938 · DECODE R4939 · DECODE R4940 · DECODE R4941 · DECODE R4942 · DECODE R4933 · DECODE R4934 · DECODE R4935 Status and prior art. Checked 22 Sept 2026: DECODE R4933-R4942 are N/A with no decryption attached, and no published reading was found. The collection is at the Romanian National Archives in Cluj, not Sibiu. Why it matters. Transylvania under George I Rákóczi, around the peace of Linz (1645). Scores. Scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026 (catalogue descriptions, Tomokiyo's cryptiana pages, Gallica notices, calendars and recent literature); not yet viewed on the image. Kind: solve candidate (no known key). Verify first. Add a Hungarian model to lang/; tokenise and anneal.
4.8	4 Jan 1752 – 5 Jul 1763no. 214	◇ W.B. von der Hellen (The Hague) to Frederick II of Prussia, 7 ciphertexts attempted, open rule-scoredIntercepted reports from The Hague to Frederick II; the enciphered passages remain unread in this investigation.	KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 196 (7 items) DECODE R1045 · DECODE R1047 · DECODE R1048 · DECODE R1049 · DECODE R1060 · DECODE R1061 · DECODE R1953	C
Correspondents. W.B. von der Hellen → Frederick II of Prussia (1712–1786) · The Hague, United Provinces · French Shelfmark. KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 196 (7 items) · DECODE R1045 · DECODE R1047 · DECODE R1048 · DECODE R1049 · DECODE R1060 · DECODE R1061 · DECODE R1953 Status and prior art. 20 Sept 2026: attempted, open. Existing DECODE images and transcriptions audited; uncertainty-preserving parser added and repeated R1953 passage confirmed on the manuscript. No verified plaintext or key. Fagel 5206 lists digitized decipherments from 1752–1753; no matching text retrieved. Why it matters. Intercepted reports from The Hague to Frederick II; the enciphered passages remain unread in this investigation. Scores. Original rule-based scores retained; the 20 Sept 2026 audit does not establish codebook ordering or a verified decipherment. Verify first. Retrieve Nationaal Archief 1.10.29, Fagel 5206 and check for 4 Jan 1752; collate doubtful figures and marks against manuscript images. Do not assume the 1763 key is the same. Write-up →
4.5	16 Aug 1595no. 277	◇ Nevers to Villeroy, Saint-Quentin attempted, open new 22 SeptNevers commanding in Picardy in the Spanish war of 1595.	BnF fr. 3993 no. 102 f. 148 btv1b9059229n	C
Correspondents. Louis de Gonzague, duke of Nevers → Villeroy · Saint-Quentin → Paris · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3993 no. 102 f. 148 · btv1b9059229n Status and prior art. Attempted 22 Sept 2026 (targets/nevers1595/): 17 runs, 753 signs transcribed; key not in fr. 3995 (no. 76 read in full: same sign family and design, other values; nos. 65, 66, 68-75 no fit); homophonic readings ruled out under six unit cuts by a solver that reads a matched control. A nomenclator; needs the key or the letter as sent to Villeroy. Tomokiyo (2019) lists it undeciphered. Why it matters. Nevers commanding in Picardy in the Spanish war of 1595. Scores. Scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026 (catalogue descriptions, Tomokiyo's cryptiana pages, Gallica notices, calendars and recent literature); not yet viewed on the image. Kind: solve candidate (no known key). Verify first. Transcribe; seeded anneal from the Nevers family alphabets.
4.5	1714no. 280	● Mniszech to Jakub Dunin, Crown regent attempted, open new 22 SeptThe Polish-Lithuanian magnates after the Great Northern War's return of Augustus II.	Archiwum Narodowe Kraków, Archiwum Sanguszków, ASang_teka_290/6 DECODE R7524	C
Correspondents. Józef Mniszech → Jakub Dunin · Dukla → Poland · Polish Shelfmark. Archiwum Narodowe Kraków, Archiwum Sanguszków, ASang_teka_290/6 · DECODE R7524 Status and prior art. R7524 remains unread: 232 cipher tokens transcribed, separate numerical system. No matching key or decipherment found; solver failed its synthetic control, so the negative result is inconclusive. Nine Potocka siblings transferred to potocka1714, alphabet recovered (863/887 tokens valued), person codes and uncertain readings open. Why it matters. The Polish-Lithuanian magnates after the Great Northern War's return of Augustus II. Scores. Scored by hand from the new-solves sweep of 22 Sept 2026 (catalogue descriptions, Tomokiyo's cryptiana pages, Gallica notices, calendars and recent literature); not yet viewed on the image. Kind: solve candidate (no known key). Verify first. Stronger Polish homophonic or syllabic attack, or additional same-key correspondence; see targets/potocka1714/NOTES.md.
4.4	1 Jan 1795 – 12 Mar 1796no. 218	◇ Willem Frederik, the Hereditary Prince (Berlin) to Prince William V, Dutch ciphered copies (R2236) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1772-1843) to Prince William V, 1746-1805 / Prince William V, (1746-1805), 1 Jan 1795 – 12 Mar 1796; what the cipher hides is not known.	KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 337 (R2236) DECODE R2236	C
Correspondents. Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1772-1843) → Prince William V, 1746-1805 / Prince William V, (1746-1805) · Berlin, Prussia · Dutch Shelfmark. KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 337 (R2236) · DECODE R2236 Status and prior art. DECODE R2236: Non-decrypted, 4 pp., Dutch copies No 1 and No 2 (numbers to about 390) and a page of numbers to 2835. Its sibling R2239 (12 Mar 1796) was read here 21 Sept 2026 with the word list rebuilt from R2237 (see targets/hereditary1796/); R2236 uses another list. Attempted, open. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau (1772-1843) to Prince William V, 1746-1805 / Prince William V, (1746-1805), 1 Jan 1795 – 12 Mar 1796; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
4.4	1744no. 344	◇ Esterházy papers, box 636: six cipher letters with no plaintext, one from Maria Theresa new 22 SeptSix letters in digit cipher with a Habsburg sender, in a family archive that keeps its own keys.	Slovak National Archives, Esterházy family archive, box 636	C
Correspondents. Maria Theresa and others → the Esterházy family · Vienna → Pressburg? · French (5), German (1) Shelfmark. Slovak National Archives, Esterházy family archive, box 636 Status and prior art. Digit ciphers with no plaintext; the keys filed in the archive do not fit (per the published description). Scans may not be online yet. No reading found. Why it matters. Six letters in digit cipher with a Habsburg sender, in a family archive that keeps its own keys. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Ask the SNA for scans; test the Esterházy keys again before treating it as a solve.
4.0	4 Jun 1710no. 35	◇ Nicolas Desmarets (Marly) to unknown recipient attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Nicolas Desmarets to unknown recipient, 4 Jun 1710; what the cipher hides is not known.	DECODE R10198	B
Correspondents. Nicolas Desmarets → unknown recipient · Marly, France · French Shelfmark. · DECODE R10198 Status and prior art. DECODE R10198: attempted here 21 Sept 2026 (targets/desmarets1710/). French prose lines alternate with a ~570-value numerical code (471 groups); the French is not the decipherment. No key found. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Nicolas Desmarets to unknown recipient, 4 Jun 1710; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
4.0	18 Jan 1841 – 26 Oct 1843no. 53	◇ Heinrich Anton von Zeschau (Dresden) to Albin Leo von Seebach, 4 ciphertexts attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Heinrich Anton von Zeschau to Albin Leo von Seebach, 18 Jan 1841 – 26 Oct 1843; what the cipher hides is not known.	Saxon State Archive, Saxon Main State Archive Dresden (4 items) DECODE R5005 · DECODE R5006 · DECODE R5007 · DECODE R5008	B
Correspondents. Heinrich Anton von Zeschau → Albin Leo von Seebach · Dresden, St. Petersburg · French Shelfmark. Saxon State Archive, Saxon Main State Archive Dresden (4 items) · DECODE R5005 · DECODE R5006 · DECODE R5007 · DECODE R5008 Status and prior art. DECODE R5005–R5008. Transcribed R5005 (3,969 digits); a two-digit syllabary (11 la, 70 pre, 82 m, 34 i, 29 er, 40 e, 46 que from the rubbed pencil). No key on DECODE; ciphertext-only solvers failed. See targets/zeschau1841/. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Heinrich Anton von Zeschau to Albin Leo von Seebach, 18 Jan 1841 – 26 Oct 1843; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
4.0	15 Jan 1563no. 92	● Catherine de' Medici to Paul de Foix, French ambassador in London, intercepted letter attempted, openCatherine de' Medici writing in cipher to her ambassador in England during the first War of Religion, weeks after Dreux and while the English held Le Havre; the English intercepted it and Forbes's file kept the ciphertext, apparently with no decipherment.	BL, Add MS 4136 ff. 148v-149 (Forbes's copy) DECODE R9241	A
Correspondents. Catherine de' Medici → Paul de Foix (London) · France → London (intercepted) · French (presumed) Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 4136 ff. 148v-149 (Forbes's copy) · DECODE R9241 Status and prior art. Viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/foix1563/NOTES.md). The entry's two records were two different letters. R9238 (ff. 142-143, 'L'Amiral de France à la Reine d'Angleterre') is Coligny to Elizabeth, camp at Villefranche, 12 Jan 1563: deciphered at the time and calendared (CSP Foreign vi no. 76) and printed in Forbes, Full View ii; closed. R9241's own letter (margin 'La Reine-mère de France à Mr de Foix Ambass. en Angleterre, 15 Jan 1563') is in neither Forbes nor CSP Foreign vi. About 950 tokens (Latin letters, digits, ligatures, a few two-digit numbers, clear nulls 'pour', 'car'), transcribed in targets/foix1563/qm_tokens.txt. Throckmorton's first, second and third ciphers and Croft's (R9260-R9262) do not fit; homophonic annealing (French and English, with and without nulls) found no language. Why it matters. Catherine de' Medici writing in cipher to her ambassador in England during the first War of Religion, weeks after Dreux and while the English held Le Havre; the English intercepted it and Forbes's file kept the ciphertext, apparently with no decipherment. Scores. Reviewed by hand 21 Sept 2026 after viewing the images. Verify first. Check SP 70/49-50 (TNA) for the intercept and any English decipherment; compare with French royal ciphers of 1562-63 (BnF fr. 15875 etc., de Foix correspondence); re-transcribe with a sign table before any further statistical attack.
4.0	1 Jan 1517 – 6 Mar 1518no. 156	◇ Benedetto Fantini (DECODE 'Jantini'), Buda and Eger, to the Este court, 2 ciphertexts attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Benedetto Jantini to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1517 – 6 Mar 1518; what the cipher hides is not known.	ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/22, Envoy reports, Ferrara (2 items) DECODE R1126 · DECODE R1127	B
Correspondents. Benedetto Fantini → unidentified Este recipient · Buda; Eger · Italian Shelfmark. ASMo, Ambasciatori b. 4/22, Envoy reports, Ferrara (2 items) · DECODE R1126 · DECODE R1127 Status and prior art. DECODE R1126–R1127 = ASMo Ungheria b. 4, Fantini nos. 5–6 (Vestigia 1849, 1851). Viewed 21–22 Sept 2026: R1126 (Buda) two pages of a two-tier sign cipher, 1,370 columns transcribed; R1127 (Eger, 6 Mar 1518) five short lines. Cipher of the Caprile 1519 syllabic family, but not Caprile's key; control-validated syllabary anneal fails. No decipherment in the file or in print. See targets/jantini1517/ and the write-up. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Benedetto Jantini to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1517 – 6 Mar 1518; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.9	11 Apr 1528no. 7	● Hieronimo Ranzo (?) to 'Garbino', intercepted imperial letter attempted, openFive months after the Sack of Rome, during Lautrec's campaign in Italy.	BnF fr. 3022 no. 20 (ff. 44r–46v; addition sheet and jargon ff. 48–50v) btv1b90601558	C
Correspondents. Hieronimo Ranzo (probably; Gattinara's man) → 'Garbino' · Madrid → (intercepted) · Italian Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3022 no. 20 (ff. 44r–46v; addition sheet and jargon ff. 48–50v) · btv1b90601558 Status and prior art. The other two items first catalogued here (nos. 6 and 10, del Vasto to Charles V) are read: no. 10 by Lasry (2023) with Tomokiyo's edited text, no. 6 in targets/vasto1527/n6_reading.md. No. 20 is an Italian letter, Madrid 11 Apr 1528, to 'Garbino', in the same code as Hieronimo Ranzo's letters (fr. 2988). The code is initial letter + number with non-alphabetical numbering; ~3,900 groups are transcribed, but only the function-word skeleton is recoverable without the key. No French decipherment exists; Clair. 327 ff. 279-280 is an undeciphered copy. Why it matters. Five months after the Sack of Rome, during Lautrec's campaign in Italy. Scores. Large one-part-looking code, one letter, no key; see targets/vasto1527/NOTES.md. Verify first. Look for Ranzo's key or a deciphered Ranzo letter (Simancas, Vienna HHStA) before any statistical attack.
3.9	1748–1755no. 345	◇ "Letters not deciphered": Swedish and Spanish intercepts in the State Papers, 1748-55 attempted, open: blocked, no image online (SPO or TNA copy order only); Branch keys located on DECODE (28 Sept 2026, targets/sp95box136/) new 22 SeptCiphers the Georgian Deciphering Branch itself could not break; a whole volume of them.	TNA SP 95/136 (Sweden, "Letters not deciphered" 1748-55); SP 87/24/33 (del Puerto intercept, 1748)	C
Correspondents. Swedish diplomats (SP 95/136); the Marquis del Puerto (SP 87/24/33) → their courts · various · Swedish, French, Spanish Shelfmark. TNA SP 95/136 (Sweden, "Letters not deciphered" 1748-55); SP 87/24/33 (del Puerto intercept, 1748) Status and prior art. TNA titles the Swedish volume "Letters not deciphered"; SP 87/24/33 is calendared as an "Undeciphered letter from the marquis del Puerto". Session of 28 Sept 2026 (targets/sp95box136/): neither is digitised on TNA Discovery or held on DECODE; images only through Gale State Papers Online or a TNA copy order. The SP 95 series description records a Britain-Sweden diplomatic rupture 1748-63, so SP 95/136 holds intercepts or unofficial letters, not an envoy's despatches. The Deciphering Branch's keys for these correspondents are on DECODE: R7801 (Add MS 32301 f. 38, 'Grimaldi to Canis at Stockholm, 1752, & Marq. del Puerto at the Hague', Spanish 1-500 syllabic nomenclator), R7793 (Huescar-Wall 1747, 1-1100), R7721 ('Wynantz avec Scheffer 1749', French/Swedish code), R7723 (Scheffer 1752, past 1400 groups), R7724-R7725 (Wynantz 1753). No modern reading found. Why it matters. Ciphers the Georgian Deciphering Branch itself could not break; a whole volume of them. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Obtain SPO images or TNA copies of SP 95/136 and SP 87/24/33 ff. 96-97; list letters per system; apply R7801/R7793-R7795 to del Puerto and R7721/R7723/R7724 to the Swedish letters; rebuild keys from those siblings where none fits.
3.5	10 Nov 1610no. 25	◇ Marie de Médicis to Savary de Brèves attempted, openSix months after Henri IV's assassination; the regency's Rome policy.	BnF fr. 3789 no. 12 btv1b9059628m	C
Correspondents. Marie de Médicis → Savary de Brèves · Paris → Rome · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3789 no. 12 · btv1b9059628m · notice no. 12 = stamped f. 19r (canvas 36); sibling 15 Sept 1610 = stamped f. 17r Status and prior art. Attempted 21 Sept 2026: transcribed with its 15 Sept sibling (DECODE R2076/R2075). Probably the Henri IV–Brèves 1610 cipher broken by Lasry et al. 2021 (R2077; key BnF fr. 3642), but DECODE's 833-px key photo is partial and my reading of it gives no French. Brèves's reply of 9 Dec 1610 (Cinq cents de Colbert 351, pp. 724-730) paraphrases the Savoy/Spain points without quoting the passage. Why it matters. Six months after Henri IV's assassination; the regency's Rome policy. Scores. Single letter, no sibling; Brèves' other ciphers (1593–96, 1602–03) are known and worth testing. Verify first. Get Lasry's R2077 decryption or a legible image of BnF fr. 3642 and apply it; see targets/breves1610/NOTES.md.
3.5	20 Jan 1572/3no. 123	◇ Walsingham to Burghley (letter-book copy) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Frauncis Walsingham? to ..., 21 Jan 1572; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Harley MS 260 f 398-399 DECODE R8363	C
Correspondents. Francis Walsingham → William Cecil, Lord Burghley · Paris → London · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 260 f 398-399 · DECODE R8363 Status and prior art. DECODE R8363. Attempted here 2026-09-22: a clear letter-book copy (also printed, cipher unread, in Digges 1655 p. 313); the cipher is one six-sign port name '2 1 ⌘ ε 9 4' plus a copyist's [9] placeholder. No 1572-73 key; too short (targets/walsingham1572/). Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Frauncis Walsingham? to ..., 21 Jan 1572; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.5	30 Sep 1587no. 184	◇ Louis Gonzaga, duke of Nevers to Robert de La Vieuville attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Louis Gonzaga, duke of Nevers to Robert de La Vieuville, 30 Sep 1587; what the cipher hides is not known.	BnF, Français 3975 fol. 101 DECODE R4289	C
Correspondents. Louis Gonzaga, duke of Nevers → Robert de La Vieuville · Paris · French Shelfmark. BnF, Français 3975 fol. 101 · DECODE R4289 Status and prior art. DECODE R4289 = BnF fr. 3975 item 34, ff. 101r-102v, Nevers to La Vieuville, St-Aignan 30 Sept 1587 (copy; no decipherment on the leaves). Attempted, not read (22 Sept 2026, targets/vieuville1587/). Clear letter in a very hasty hand with code numbers and three short runs; Tomokiyo's Nevers key no. 16 (fr. 3995 f. 32v) reads the code numbers (42 et 43 eschevins et maire de ville, 63 La Vieuville, 48 chasteau, 30 artillerie) but not the runs, and the letter text is illegible on the B/W microfilm. Not in Gomberville 1665. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Louis Gonzaga, duke of Nevers to Robert de La Vieuville, 30 Sep 1587; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. A colour scan of fr. 3975 ff. 101-102, or the original in the BnF reading room; with a sure transcription key no. 16 should read the runs. Write-up →
3.5	spring 1573no. 259	◇ Philip II to the nuncio Ormanetto, copy sent to the Cardinal of Como (two cipher passages) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Ormanetto to The nuncio of the Secretariat, 7 Jan 1573; what the cipher hides is not known.	ASV, i. 1025, Segretario di Stato, doss. 7 DECODE R116	C
Correspondents. Ormanetto → The nuncio of the Secretariat · Spain · Spanish Shelfmark. ASV, i. 1025, Segretario di Stato, doss. 7 · DECODE R116 Status and prior art. Attempted 21 Sept 2026, not read: DECODE R116 is the nuncio's copy of Philip II's letter (docket 17 Jun 1573), two cipher passages of 1,098 dotted/marked digits, same system as R118. Lasry's 1568 Spain key and Meister's Crivelli/Como keys ruled out; annealers that read controls give nothing. Needs the Rome decifrato or the 1572-77 Spain nunciature key. See targets/ormanetto1573/. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Ormanetto to The nuncio of the Secretariat, 7 Jan 1573; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Look for the decifrati in the same busta and in the printed Nunziature volumes, then view the images. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe. Write-up →
3.5	2 Mar and 2 May 1577no. 284	● Desiderio l'Abbé to Nevers, Prague and Breslau attempted, open new 22 SeptIntelligence from Rudolf II's first year as emperor.	BnF fr. 3198 nos. 30, 37 btv1b9060073v	C
Correspondents. Desiderio l'Abbé → Duke of Nevers · Prague, Breslau → France · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3198 nos. 30, 37 · btv1b9060073v · No. 30: views 63–66; no. 37: 77–78; duplicate no. 38: 78–79. Status and prior art. Attempted 23 September 2026: cipher unread, no validated key. Draft inventory has 834 Prague and 77 May digits; no. 38 repeats the May cipher. Substitution/grouping tests failed. March clear prose reports a cipher copy sent on 24 February. See targets/labbe1582/REASSESSMENT.md and the site write-up. Why it matters. Intelligence from Rudolf II's first year as emperor. Scores. Original hand scores retained from the 22 September sweep. Target images inspected 23 September; digit counts are uncertain visual drafts, not established cipher-token counts. Verify first. Inspect earlier correspondence and possible enclosures, especially fr. 4695 no. 51 (5 February 1577); images not accessed.
3.4	2 Sep 1571no. 128	◇ Lord Burghley (Audley End) to Francis Walsingham, ambassador in France attempted, open rule-scoredTwo code items in Burghley's letter of 2 Sept 1571 on the Anjou marriage; needs the Burghley-Walsingham cipher of 1570-73.	BL, Harley MS 260 f 143-145 DECODE R8357 · Digges 1655	C
Correspondents. William Cecil, Lord Burghley → Sir Francis Walsingham · Audley End · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 260 f 143-145 · DECODE R8357 · Digges 1655 Status and prior art. Attempted 22 Sept 2026 (targets/burghley1572/): letter-book copy, clear English, printed by Digges 1655 pp. 123-124; only two code items on f.143v, undeciphered in print, no key known. DECODE R8357 dated 1572 in error. Why it matters. Two code items in Burghley's letter of 2 Sept 1571 on the Anjou marriage; needs the Burghley-Walsingham cipher of 1570-73. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.4	1 Jan 1525no. 169	◇ Elia da Cortona (1180-1253) (Venice?) to unknown recipient attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Elia da Cortona (1180-1253) to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1525; what the cipher hides is not known.	Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Mellon MS 29 DECODE R2877	C
Correspondents. Elia da Cortona (1180-1253) → unknown recipient · Venice?, Italy · Latin Shelfmark. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Mellon MS 29 · DECODE R2877 Status and prior art. DECODE R2877: Non-decrypted. Attempted here 22 Sept 2026 (targets/mellon29/): not a letter but the pseudo-Elian alchemical codex Lumen luminum, c. 1525; cipher only on ff. 1v-2v (zodiac 'se chiama' table and two recipe lists, ~234 letters) plus a later pastedown copy; Latin letters, not graphic signs. Simple substitution (with a working control), homophonic, progressive, Vigenère and Alberti-disk attacks fail; possibly invented secret names. Needs a clear copy of the prologue's recipes. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Elia da Cortona (1180-1253) to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1525; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.0	30 Jun 1635 – 27 May 1636no. 320	● Rohan papers and Louis XIII's Franco-Dutch correspondence, 1635–36 attempted, open new 22 SeptRohan's Valtellina campaign and the French entry into the Thirty Years' War.	BnF Français 5190 nos. 171–172, 214–215; Français 3758 nos. 100, 104 btv1b9059471x · btv1b9058223v · Write-up	C
Correspondents. d'Émery, Savoy and Canisy → Rohan; Louis XIII → Châtillon and Brézé; Châtillon → Servien · Valtellina; Fontainebleau; Nijmegen · French Shelfmark. BnF Français 5190 nos. 171–172, 214–215; Français 3758 nos. 100, 104 · btv1b9059471x · btv1b9058223v · Write-up · Français 3758 views 126–130, 135–140; Français 5190 reproduction stops at manuscript p. 80 Status and prior art. Attempted 22 Sept 2026. Savoy and Canisy's 27 May 1636 cipher letters are printed deciphered in Mémoires et lettres (1758), III, but their manuscript ciphertext and d'Émery's letter (25 Jan 1636) lie beyond the supplied Français 5190 Gallica scan, which ends at p. 80. In Français 3758, the clear prose of Louis XIII's 30 June 1635 letter and Châtillon's 3 Aug letter to Servien has been read; substantial cipher passages remain. No key or matching plaintext was verified. A second witness of the 1635 correspondence is Sainte-Geneviève MS 3338. See the write-up. Why it matters. Rohan's Valtellina campaign and the French entry into the Thirty Years' War. Scores. Reassessed after viewing: the original class A depended on Savoy/Canisy cipher/plaintext pairs, but the paired ciphertext is absent from the linked reproduction. Class C reflects the material now accessible online. Verify first. Obtain BnF Français 5190 nos. 171–172 and 214–215; compare Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève MS 3338 with Français 3758 pp. 114–128, or consult the full 2020 Vignal-Souleyreau edition.
2.9	18 Jun 1804no. 219	◇ Robert Fagel (1771-1856) (The Hague) to Prince William V, (1746-1805) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Robert Fagel (1771-1856) to Prince William V, (1746-1805), 18 Jun 1804; what the cipher hides is not known.	KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 337 DECODE R2238	C
Correspondents. Robert Fagel (1771-1856) → Prince William V, (1746-1805) · The Hague, Batavian Repub;ic · French Shelfmark. KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 337 · DECODE R2238 Status and prior art. 21 Sept 2026: transcribed (128 groups, French numerical nomenclator to at least 2510) and dated to the 1804 Orange compensation talks. Grand Chiffre R1024, all KHA and Fagel family keys in DECODE, BL and Uppsala French codes ruled out; no parallel text. Key most likely in undigitised KHA A31-902; see targets/fagel1804/. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Robert Fagel (1771-1856) to Prince William V, (1746-1805), 18 Jun 1804; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe. Write-up →
2.9	15 Apr 1763no. 223	◇ W.B. von der Hellen (The Hague) to Frederick II of Prussia, 15 April 1763 attempted, open rule-scoredIntercepted reports from The Hague to Frederick II; the enciphered passages remain unread in this investigation.	Koninklijk Huisarchief,Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 196 DECODE R1046	C
Correspondents. W.B. von der Hellen → Frederick II of Prussia (1712–1786) · The Hague, United Provinces · French Shelfmark. Koninklijk Huisarchief,Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 196 · DECODE R1046 Status and prior art. 20 Sept 2026: attempted, open. Existing DECODE images and transcriptions audited; uncertainty-preserving parser added and repeated R1953 passage confirmed on the manuscript. No verified plaintext or key. Fagel 5206 lists digitized decipherments from 1752–1753; no matching text retrieved. Why it matters. Intercepted reports from The Hague to Frederick II; the enciphered passages remain unread in this investigation. Scores. Original rule-based scores retained; the 20 Sept 2026 audit does not establish codebook ordering or a verified decipherment. Verify first. Retrieve Nationaal Archief 1.10.29, Fagel 5206 and check for 4 Jan 1752; collate doubtful figures and marks against manuscript images. Do not assume the 1763 key is the same. Write-up →
2.9	18 Jan 1744 (from the reply on f. 4v)no. 339	◇ Military news for Prince Carl August Friedrich of Waldeck, in a three-digit code attempted, open new 22 SeptWar of the Austrian Succession; Waldeck commanded Dutch troops. A hard code with no known key.	Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 118 a Nr. 3954, ff. 3-4 (HCPortal record 517) HCPortal record 517 · Arcinsys (8 images) · write-up	C
Correspondents. unknown informant → Prince Carl August Friedrich of Waldeck · ? → Arolsen · German Shelfmark. Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg, HStAM 118 a Nr. 3954, ff. 3-4 (HCPortal record 517) · HCPortal record 517 · Arcinsys (8 images) · write-up Status and prior art. Attempted 28 Sept 2026 (targets/waldeck1744/): 717 groups, 303 distinct, transcribed. The prince's French draft reply on f. 4v answers a letter of 18 January (1744). Probably a two-part homophonic nomenclator (7/90/924 homophones; no alphabetical, column or multiplicative numbering fits); synthetic controls of that design show the key is not identifiable from one letter. No key on Arcinsys, HCPortal or DECODE; the undigitised 118 a Nr. 1973-1980 (Feldzug 1744) may hold the key or a deciphered copy. Why it matters. War of the Austrian Succession; Waldeck commanded Dutch troops. A hard code with no known key. Scores. Scored by hand from the archive scan of 23 Sept 2026 (outside DECODE: Meister 1902/1906, printed inventories and editions, HCPortal, Láng 2015, TNA/Kalliope catalogues); notes in research/oldest/scan_2026-09-23/. Kind: solve candidate (no key known). Verify first. Look for further reports in the same code in HStAM 118 a (Waldeck papers) before attempting; one page of code is thin.
2.7	15 Jan 1789 – 26 Aug 1799no. 225	◇ Frederik Gijsbert van Dedem tot de Gelder (Constantinople) to Van de Spiegel and Van der Goes, 3 unread ciphertexts (1789, 1793, 1799) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Frederik Gijsbert van Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820) to Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826 / Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel (1737-1800), 11 Oct 1788 – 26 Aug 1799; what the cipher hides is not known.	NA The Hague, 02.01.08. Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, 1796-1810, inv (4 items) DECODE R1895 · DECODE R2122 · DECODE R2131	C
Correspondents. Frederik Gijsbert van Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820) → Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826 / Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel (1737-1800) · Constantinople, Ottoman Empire · Dutch Shelfmark. NA The Hague, 02.01.08. Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, 1796-1810, inv (4 items) · DECODE R1895 · DECODE R2122 · DECODE R2131 Status and prior art. DECODE R2122, R2131, R1895 unread. R2120 (22 Dec 1788) was read at the time: its decipherment is filed as R2121. R2122/R2131: homophonic word code, no key on DECODE; cribs R2121, R1947, R2053 transcribed but do not rebuild it. R1895: different marked system. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Frederik Gijsbert van Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820) to Maarten van der Goes (1751-1826 / Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel (1737-1800), 11 Oct 1788 – 26 Aug 1799; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe. Write-up →
2.7	9 Feb 1809no. 233	◇ Willem Frederik Roell (1767-1829), minister of Foreign Affairs (Amsterdam) to Frederik Gijsbertvan Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820), 2 ciphertexts attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Willem Frederik Roell (1767-1829), minister of Foreign Affairs to Frederik Gijsbertvan Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820), 9 Feb 1809; what the cipher hides is not known.	NA The Hague, legatie Turkije, inv.nr. 804 (2 items) DECODE R1469 · DECODE R1470	C
Correspondents. Willem Frederik Roell (1767-1829), minister of Foreign Affairs → Frederik Gijsbertvan Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820) · Amsterdam, Kingdom of Holland · French Shelfmark. NA The Hague, legatie Turkije, inv.nr. 804 (2 items) · DECODE R1469 · DECODE R1470 Status and prior art. DECODE R1469-R1470 viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/roell1809/). 13 pages of code throughout, unaddressed and unsigned; no decipherment on the scans. 2,585 groups (931 distinct) to about 3,300, heavily homophonic (no group above ~1%), not alphabetical. Not the 1788-93 Dedem code (overlap at chance), nor the Spaen 1808 or Fagel 1804 codes. No DECODE key; Roell's papers (NA 2.21.008.78) list letters from Dedem and from S. F. Croiset 1808-09 but no codebook. Not breakable without the key or a crib. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Willem Frederik Roell (1767-1829), minister of Foreign Affairs to Frederik Gijsbertvan Dedem tot de Gelder (1743-1820), 9 Feb 1809; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
2.5	12–27 Dec 1558no. 10	◇ Seure (Lisbon) to de Fresne and Henri II, six letters attempted, openParma war; Cateau-Cambrésis negotiations; Portugal after Sebastian's accession.	BnF fr. 3151 nos. 39–44 btv1b9059865k	C
Correspondents. chevalier de Seure → de Fresne; → Henri II · Lisbon → France · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3151 nos. 39–44 · btv1b9059865k Status and prior art. La Guiche (fr. 3138 no. 22) read in part and Noailles (no. 33) read at the time: see targets/guiche1551/. Seure: six letters (40/41 and 43/44 duplicates, views 72–88), ~2,000 signs of a homophonic symbol cipher with numeral codes; no decipherment on the leaves. Why it matters. Parma war; Cateau-Cambrésis negotiations; Portugal after Sebastian's accession. Scores. Six letters under one key; large corpus, transcription-bound. Verify first. Transcribe the cipher blocks; compare the duplicate copies for clear/cipher overlap.
2.5	'ce xxvj juin' [c. 1586]no. 13	◇ Anonymous to the Duke of Mercœur attempted, openThe League in Brittany.	BnF fr. 15564 f. 151	C
Correspondents. unknown → Philippe-Emmanuel de Lorraine, duc de Mercœur · ? → Brittany · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 15564 f. 151 · Gallica Status and prior art. Tomokiyo: undeciphered; Lasry found it is not in his fr. 15564 key. Attempted here 2026-09-21: not Lasry's, Mayenne–Forget or Clair. 357 keys; too short for ciphertext-only (targets/mercoeur1586/). Why it matters. The League in Brittany. Scores. One letter, unknown sender; Lasry's keys for the volume are the first thing to try. Verify first. Test Lasry's fr. 15564 keys; read the endorsement.
2.5	5 Jul 1572no. 127	◇ Burghley to Walsingham (letter-book copy) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of William Burleigh to unknown recipient, Jul 1572; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Harley MS 260 f 262 DECODE R8358 · write-up	C
Correspondents. William Cecil, Lord Burghley → Sir Francis Walsingham · Westminster → Paris · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 260 f 262 · DECODE R8358 · write-up Status and prior art. DECODE R8358. Attempted here 2026-09-22: a clear letter-book copy, printed with the cipher unread in Digges 1655 (July 1572); cipher is 7 boxed name codes, a monogram, two letters and the run 'm o R. d A.'. [3] = the French King by context; the rest unread, no key known (targets/r8358/). Why it matters. Ciphered letter of William Burleigh to unknown recipient, Jul 1572; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
2.5	Jun 1571no. 129	◇ Walsingham to Burghley, 25 June 1571 (letter-book; with Elizabeth to Walsingham, clear) attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Elizabeth R. to unknown recipient, Jun 1571; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Harley MS 260 f 112-113 DECODE R8356	C
Correspondents. Elizabeth R. → unknown recipient · London · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 260 f 112-113 · DECODE R8356 Status and prior art. Attempted here (targets/r8356/): Walsingham letter-book; the Queen's letter is clear; nine-sign run and codes [12], [E4] in Walsingham to Burghley unread, too short, no key. In Digges 1655 p. 106, cipher as figures. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Elizabeth R. to unknown recipient, Jun 1571; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
2.0	28 Dec 1751no. 36	◇ King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (1712-1786) (London) to Louis Michell (1712-1786), Prussian resident in London attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (1712-1786) to Louis Michell (1712-1786), Prussian resident in London, 28 Dec 1751; what the cipher hides is not known.	KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 198 DECODE R1955	C
Correspondents. King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (1712-1786) → Louis Michell (1712-1786), Prussian resident in London · London, England · French Shelfmark. KHA The Hague, Prins Willem V, inv.nr. 198 · DECODE R1955 Status and prior art. DECODE R1955: Non-decrypted, 2 pp., nomenclator, numerical. 19 Sept 2026: transcribed in full (targets/michell1751/transcription_r1955.txt). Heading "Lettre du Roi de Prusse au Secrétaire Michell du 28 Decemb. 1751", clear opening "Toutes vos dépêches m'ont été bien rendues et la dernière est du 14e de ce mois", 362 code groups (2 to 5346, with half-groups 1½, 10½, 40½, 150½, 180½, 660½), dated and signed Féderic. Only one letter of this date to Michell is in Politische Correspondenz 8 (no. 5263 = R1957), so this is the ministerial rescript and has no printed text. 295 of the 362 groups are distinct and the commonest occurs 5 times: a large two-part homophonic code, not breakable from this letter alone. It would need the Prussian ministerial code of 1751 (GStA), Lyonet's Dutch decipherments, or British decyphers of Michell's mail. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of King Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia (1712-1786) to Louis Michell (1712-1786), Prussian resident in London, 28 Dec 1751; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
2.0	30 Jul 1803no. 230	◇ Lodewijk van Toulon (1767-1840) (The Hague) to Dirk van Hogendorp (1761-1822), ambassador of the Batavian Re[ublic in Russia attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Lodewijk van Toulon (1767-1840) to Dirk van Hogendorp (1761-1822), ambassador of the Batavian Re[ublic in Russia, 30 Jul 1803; what the cipher hides is not known.	NA The Hague, 1.02.13, (Legatie Rusland), inventory number 208 DECODE R2034	C
Correspondents. Lodewijk van Toulon (1767-1840) → Dirk van Hogendorp (1761-1822), ambassador of the Batavian Re[ublic in Russia · The Hague, The Netherlands · Dutch Shelfmark. NA The Hague, 1.02.13, (Legatie Rusland), inventory number 208 · DECODE R2034 Status and prior art. DECODE R2034: Non-decrypted. Attempted here 20-22 Sept 2026 (targets/toulon1803/): 110 groups transcribed; code = Croiset's six-series Correspondentiecijffer (NA 2.21.045/34313, physical only). Same-key 1801 solutions targets/R1944/R1946 fix 3 of 67 words (394 handen, 58 brengen, 222= niet); R1035, R1038, R1891 do not fit. Needs a scan of the key. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Lodewijk van Toulon (1767-1840) to Dirk van Hogendorp (1761-1822), ambassador of the Batavian Re[ublic in Russia, 30 Jul 1803; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
1.9	28 Dec 1652 – 3 May 1653no. 137	● Abraham Cowley's hand ('Mr. Conleys Hand'), Paris, to a royalist in Holland, 2 letters attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Mr. Conleys Hand to unknown recipient, 28 Dec 1652 – 3 May 1653; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Harley MS 7003 (2 items) DECODE R7768 · DECODE R7769	C
Correspondents. Queen's court at Paris (Jermyn's office, Cowley's hand) → unidentified royalist in Holland · Paris · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 7003 (2 items) · DECODE R7768 · DECODE R7769 Status and prior art. Viewed 21 Sept 2026 (DECODE R7768–R7769): clear English fair copy, docket 'mr Cowleys Hand'; 23 code numbers in five runs (names, a place). Hyde–Barwick key ruled out; not in Miscellanea Aulica. Needs a Jermyn/Queen key of 1652–53. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Mr. Conleys Hand to unknown recipient, 28 Dec 1652 – 3 May 1653; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
1.9	1520s (BnF range 1520-29)no. 170	◇ Hieronimo Ranzo (Venice) to unknown recipient attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Hieronimo Ranzo to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1520; what the cipher hides is not known.	Bibliotheque National Ancien Fonds inv.nr. 2988 DECODE R1894	C
Correspondents. Hieronimo Ranzo → unknown recipient · Venice, Italy · Italian Shelfmark. Bibliotheque National Ancien Fonds inv.nr. 2988 · DECODE R1894 Status and prior art. DECODE R1894 = BnF fr. 2988 ff. 9-11, 4 pp. No key, decipherment or transcription on the DECODE record (checked 21 Sept 2026). The fr. 2988 Ranzo letters were transcribed here in targets/vasto1527/ (n20/ranzo_c0.txt, ~2,600 groups) with the Garbino letter (fr. 3022 no. 20), which uses the same initial-letter + number code. The numbering is not alphabetical, and a word annealer recovers only function words. No clear copy, crib or base key was found. Needs Ranzo's table or a clear copy; see entry 7. Why it matters.* Ciphered letter of Hieronimo Ranzo to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1520; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Look for the base key or a clear copy (Gattinara papers, Simancas, Vienna HHStA); ask Lasry/Tomokiyo.
1.6	1525no. 189	◇ Hieronimo Ranzo (Italy?) to unknown recipient attempted, open rule-scored Tomokiyo listCiphered letter of Hieronimo Ranzo to unknown recipient, 1525; what the cipher hides is not known.	BnF, Français 20506, f.136 DECODE R4450	C
Correspondents. Hieronimo Ranzo → unknown recipient · Italy? · unknown Shelfmark. BnF, Français 20506, f.136 · DECODE R4450 Status and prior art. DECODE R4450 = BnF fr. 20506 f. 136, a copy of fr. 2988 f. 9 (the R1894 letter). No key, decipherment or transcription on the DECODE record (checked 21 Sept 2026). The fr. 2988 Ranzo letters were transcribed here in targets/vasto1527/ (n20/ranzo_c0.txt, ~2,600 groups) with the Garbino letter (fr. 3022 no. 20), which uses the same initial-letter + number code. The numbering is not alphabetical, and a word annealer recovers only function words. No clear copy, crib or base key was found. Needs Ranzo's table or a clear copy; see entry 7. Why it matters.* Ciphered letter of Hieronimo Ranzo to unknown recipient, 1525; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Look for the base key or a clear copy (Gattinara papers, Simancas, Vienna HHStA); ask Lasry/Tomokiyo.
1.6	5 Jan 1526no. 193	◇ Bayard to Montmorency attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Bayard to Montmorency, 5 Jan 1526; what the cipher hides is not known.	BnF, Clairambault 325, f.84 DECODE R2285	C
Correspondents. Bayard → Montmorency · Toledo · probably French Shelfmark. BnF, Clairambault 325, f.84 · DECODE R2285 Status and prior art. Attempted, open (22 Sept 2026, targets/bayard1526/): 17th-c. copy; 56 signs of 29 kinds transcribed. Printed in Champollion-Figeac 1847 (CCXVIII) with the cipher omitted. Calvimont and Raince 1526 keys do not fit; too short blind. Needs the original (V. 41 f. 4). Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Bayard to Montmorency, 5 Jan 1526; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
1.6	1717no. 206	◇ Murberg, Johan, Görtz, Georg Heinrich von to unknown recipient attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Murberg, Johan, Görtz, Georg Heinrich von to unknown recipient, 1717; what the cipher hides is not known.	National Library of Sweden DECODE R4350	C
Correspondents. Murberg, Johan, Görtz, Georg Heinrich von → unknown recipient · Stockholm · unknown Shelfmark. National Library of Sweden · DECODE R4350 Status and prior art. DECODE R4350: Non-decrypted. Viewed 22 Sept 2026: the record is the whole Murberg volume (KB I.g.18, 114 images); the cipher is five passages (809 numeric groups 1-848, 175 distinct) inside a German peace memorandum of 1717 on Poland, the Czar and Norway (PDF pp. 34-41). No decipherment on the pages; the only Görtz key on DECODE (R7691, BL Add MS 32287 f.2, 1716) is a French 4-digit code, not this one. Ciphertext-only annealing (homophonic letter, alphabetical syllabary) failed, and failed its synthetic control. Needs Görtz's German chancery key (Riksarkivet Görtz papers). See targets/goertz1717/. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Murberg, Johan, Görtz, Georg Heinrich von to unknown recipient, 1717; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
1.0	1 Aug 1648no. 135	● Charles I to Prince Charles, 1 Aug 1648 (cipher passage) attempted, skipped: impossible without the key (no copy known; 59% hapax)The King's secret instruction to his son during the Second Civil War, in a cipher of which no copy is known.	BL, Harley MS 6988 f 208 DECODE R8342	A
Correspondents. Charles I (Carisbrooke) → Charles, Prince of Wales · Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 6988 f 208 · DECODE R8342 Status and prior art. DECODE R8342 viewed 21 Sept 2026: a clear autograph letter with a 99-group cipher passage (lines 3-8); the King's postscript says the cipher is the one 'sent you by the noble Frend who conveis this Letter'. Printed without the cipher in Halliwell, Letters of the Kings of England ii (1846) 449; ciphertext in Original Letters / cryptiana. The Sept-Nov 1648 Biermann-Bosbach-Brown key and the Titus key are both excluded (targets/charlesi/ NOTES). R8341 (1646) is a graphic-sign key, not this numeric one. Why it matters. The King's secret instruction to his son during the Second Civil War, in a cipher of which no copy is known. Scores. Reviewed by hand 21 Sept 2026 after viewing the leaf. Verify first. Only the key itself would move it: look for the Prince's or Lauderdale's 1648 cipher in the Clarendon, Nicholas (Egerton) or Lauderdale papers.
6.5	3 Jul 1592no. 183	◇ Joachim de Jaucourt Baron de Dinteville (Langres) to Duke of Nivernois noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Joachim de Jaucourt Baron de Dinteville to Duke of Nivernois, 3 Jul 1592; what the cipher hides is not known.	BnF, Français 3621, no. 116, f. 130 DECODE R9451	A
Correspondents. Joachim de Jaucourt Baron de Dinteville → Duke of Nivernois · Langres, France · French Shelfmark. BnF, Français 3621, no. 116, f. 130 · DECODE R9451 Status and prior art. Attempted 21 Sept 2026, not read. The DECODE image and Gallica (btv1b52524472n view 269) show no decipherment on f. 130: two cipher passages (~10 lines) and a clear postscript. Sibling f. 128 (view 265), same signs, has an interlinear decipherment (~150 signs), but no one-sign-one-letter key fits it; code signs likely. Needs a careful sign transcription of ff. 128 and 130. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Joachim de Jaucourt Baron de Dinteville to Duke of Nivernois, 3 Jul 1592; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Open the images and check how much of the cipher the contemporary decipherment covers. Write-up →
5.9	1628 – 1633no. 207	◇ Riksarkivet key-box and Oxenstierna ciphers, 12 records (Bremen 1631 read and removed) noted attempted, open rule-scoredThree key-box ciphertexts that resisted a first attack, and Oxenstierna correspondence of 1628 and 1633 with a key collection that may hold their keys.	Riksarkivet, TNA of Sweden (12 items) DECODE R4282 · DECODE R4284 · DECODE R4306 · DECODE R4333 · +7 more records	A
Correspondents. unknown → Camerarius?, Amsterdam; Rusdorff → Oxenstierna; Swedish agent → Oxenstierna · Stockholm · Latin, German, Swedish Shelfmark. Riksarkivet, TNA of Sweden (12 items) · DECODE R4282 · DECODE R4284 · DECODE R4306 · DECODE R4333 · +7 more records Status and prior art. DECODE R4282–R4341, 12 records. Viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/riksarkivet1628/): four unrelated groups. The two Bremen letters of 1631 (R4330–R4331) are read and removed from this entry. Open: R4282 (Latin letter cipher, ~33 signs), R4284 (Latin 1628, 108 numbers, Camerarius docket), R4306 (to Amsterdam 1632, monoalphabetic by IoC) — attacked by annealing in ten languages and against two box keys, not broken; R4333–R4337 (Rusdorff → Oxenstierna 1628, "unsolved cipher") and R4338–R4341 (E 708, Swedish, June 1633, not 1646; glossed in part at the time) not worked. Why it matters. Three key-box ciphertexts that resisted a first attack, and Oxenstierna correspondence of 1628 and 1633 with a key collection that may hold their keys. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Fetch the images and the key record(s); test the key on the first lines. Write-up →
5.5	9 Jul 1593no. 30	◇ Laurière to Nevers, Châlons, 9 Jul 1593 noted attempted, openNevers' government of Champagne in 1590–91.	BnF fr. 3625 no. 55 (f. 66r, Gallica canvas 143) btv1b52511322v	A
Correspondents. Laurière → duc de Nevers · Châlons → Nevers · French Shelfmark. BnF fr. 3625 no. 55 (f. 66r, Gallica canvas 143) · btv1b52511322v · Key source: no. 10, f. 10r (canvas 31), interlinear decipherment Status and prior art. Read in fragments 21 Sept 2026 (targets/champagne1590/): a syllabic figure-and-sign code; 19 of 86 groups read with a 12-entry table rebuilt from the glossed runs of Laurière's 13 Jul letter (no. 10, f. 10r; key_lauriere.txt). Open: the syllable groups. Nos. 23-25, 60 of fr. 3623 read; no. 78 one group only. Why it matters. Nevers' government of Champagne in 1590–91. Scores. Laurière is a direct alignment; the news-letters may share Nevers-office keys already reconstructed by Tomokiyo. Verify first. Tomokiyo's Nevers keys nos. 1–70 against no. 23.
5.5	9 Jan 1576no. 239	● Nuncios Ormanetto and Antonio Clementino (Spain) to The Secretariat, 2 ciphertexts noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Nuncios Ormanetto and Antonio Clementino to The Secretariat, 9 Jan 1576; what the cipher hides is not known.	ASV, i. 1025, Segretario di Stato, doss. 10 (2 items) DECODE R117 · DECODE R118	A
Correspondents. Nuncios Ormanetto and Antonio Clementino → The Secretariat · Spain · Spanish Shelfmark. ASV, i. 1025, Segretario di Stato, doss. 10 (2 items) · DECODE R117 · DECODE R118 Status and prior art. 21 Sept 2026: images viewed. R117 (ff. 245-246) is a clear Spanish memorial on the Pamplona vacancy; its figures are Roman-numeral ducat sums, not a cipher. R118 (f. 365) has six lines of figures (389 digits) with an Italian note beneath (the nuncio has discussed Rome's cipher of 19 Sept with Antonio Pérez); tested as a crib, the note does not fit (43 tokens vs 47-51 for shuffled controls). No Spain nunciature key on DECODE. Not read; needs the key or the Rome decifrato. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Nuncios Ormanetto and Antonio Clementino to The Secretariat, 9 Jan 1576; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Look for the decifrati in the same busta and in the printed Nunziature volumes, then view the images. Open the images and check how much of the cipher the contemporary decipherment covers. Write-up →
5.0	7 Feb 1719 – 19 Jan 1745no. 78	◇ Paris 1719 and Carré 1742–45 code letters, 5 ciphertexts noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, 1 Feb 1719 – 17 Nov 1749; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 32305 (5 items) DECODE R2964 · DECODE R2965 · DECODE R2968 · DECODE R2970 · DECODE R2972	B
Correspondents. Unknown sender → unknown recipient · Paris, France · ... Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 32305 (5 items) · DECODE R2964 · DECODE R2965 · DECODE R2968 · DECODE R2970 · DECODE R2972 Status and prior art. Viewed 21 Sept 2026 (targets/bl32305/). R2963 and R2974 were deciphered at the time and are dropped. R2964/R2965 (Paris 7 and 10 Feb 1719): two-part 3-figure code, ~12 contemporary glosses, 354 groups in f. 6. R2968/R2970/R2972 (letters to Mr Carré, Pall Mall, Mar 1742, received 22 Aug 1742, 19 Jan 1745): transcribed in full (1323 groups, 381 distinct, 1–800); not a letter cipher (anneal = shuffled control), not one-part (r = −0.26): two-part code of ~800 entries, closed; R2969 is a frequency count, not a key. Former entry #70 (R2970 alone) folded in here. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, 1 Feb 1719 – 17 Nov 1749; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Needs the key or a clear copy: Newcastle/Carteret papers, SP 107, SP 78. Write-up →
4.9	10 Jul 1559 – 8 Aug 1559no. 97	◇ Throckmorton leaf 1559: marginal word-sign code, and John Wood to Cecil 1568 noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, 10 Jul 1559 – 8 Aug 1559; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 4136 (2 items) DECODE R2988 · DECODE R2989	A
Correspondents. unknown (R2988 margin); John Wood → Cecil (R2989) · Paris, Western manuscripts · English Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 4136 (2 items) · DECODE R2988 · DECODE R2989 Status and prior art. Attempted 21 Sept 2026 (targets/wod1568/, write-up wod1568.html). Throckmorton's 10 July 1559 letter on f. 32 is read in part there. Still unread: the f. 32 margin, a word-sign code (222 groups, 113 used once), probably a copy of the 8 July 1559 despatches; needs its key or TNA SP 70/5 (CSP For. i 947, 950). Wood's 39-sign line (6 Sept 1568) has no unique solution ciphertext-only; needs Hatfield, Cecil Papers vol. 1. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, 10 Jul 1559 – 8 Aug 1559; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Fetch the images and the key record(s); test the key on the first lines.
4.0	Sept 1645no. 58	◇ English royalist letter in numerical code, September 1645 (SP 106/10 f. 251) noted attempted, open rule-scoredA royalist despatch of autumn 1645, after Naseby; what it says is not known.	TNA, State Papers, inv.nr. 106 box 10, f. 251 · DECODE R931 DECODE R656 · DECODE R662 · DECODE R722 · DECODE R931	B
Correspondents. Unknown sender → unknown recipient · Kew · English Shelfmark. TNA, State Papers, inv.nr. 106 box 10, f. 251 · DECODE R931 · DECODE R656 · DECODE R662 · DECODE R722 · DECODE R931 Status and prior art. Attempted, open (sp106box10, 21 Sept 2026). Of the four DECODE records first grouped here, R722 turned out to be the 1625 Venetian letter of the sp106box10 codebreaker's file (endorsement and clear passages read), and R656 and R662 are that codebreaker's worksheet and memorandum; they moved to sp106box10. Left: R931, a strip of ~190 numbers 10-260 with clear words ('(1) septembre 1645', 'earnestly', 'reasons'), 104 distinct numbers: a nomenclator. Lasry's 1645-46 SP 106 keys, the R932 Goring key and the Charles I-Culpeper 1645 key (R9117/R9118) do not fit. Why it matters. A royalist despatch of autumn 1645, after Naseby; what it says is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Find the matching 1645 key: Digby, Nicholas and Goring keys in BL Add MS 32256 ff. 4-9 and Egerton 2550 (DECODE R9115-R9119, R3053-R3105).
3.4	Nov 1572no. 125	◇ Walsingham letter-book, Nov 1572 (Burghley, Leicester, Walsingham): name codes noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, Nov 1572; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Harley MS 260 f 367 DECODE R8361 · write-up	C
Correspondents. Burghley / Leicester → Walsingham; Walsingham → Smith, Burghley · London / Paris · English Shelfmark. BL, Harley MS 260 f 367 · DECODE R8361 · write-up Status and prior art. DECODE R8361: letter-book copies of four clear letters printed in Digges 1655 pp. 297-301; cipher is 8 boxed name codes and a nine-sign letter run. [3] = the Queen by context; [7], [9], H and the run unread, no key known. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient, Nov 1572; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.1	undatedno. 76	◇ ... to unknown recipient noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of ... to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 32280 f 1-2 DECODE R8870	B
Correspondents. ... → unknown recipient · London · unknown Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 32280 f 1-2 · DECODE R8870 Status and prior art. DECODE R8870, viewed 21 Sept 2026: 901 numeric code groups (1-1647, hyphenated syllable compounds), ending 'Duplicata'; no decipherment on the leaves. None of the 27 key records of Add MS 32280 fits (R8890 French 6001+, R8894-R8919 Dutch 1823-42). Too little text for a ciphertext-only rebuild of a ~1,650-group code. Notes and transcription in targets/r8870/. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of ... to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the same volume and the Calendars for the contemporary decipherment first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.0	4 Aug 1728 (docket)no. 77	◇ Unknown sender to unknown recipient noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known.	BL, Add MS 32287 f 37-40 DECODE R7707	B
Correspondents. Unknown sender → unknown recipient · unknown · unknown Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 32287 f 37-40 · DECODE R7707 Status and prior art. DECODE R7707 viewed 22 Sept 2026: f. 37r = 205 invented cursive signs; ff. 38-40 = a contemporary codebreaker's tallies, contact tables and guesses (no reading), a household bill, docket 4 Aout 1728 / 31 Aout / 5 8bre. IoC 1.07, not a simple substitution; mono, periodic and Quagmire-type anneals failed. Needs the key or the sibling letters. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the same volume and the Calendars for the contemporary decipherment first. Search CSP / the Calendars for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
3.0	1583no. 161	◇ Bavarian key volume: dot grille (1583) and letter to Duke Wilhelm V (1583), unread noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known.	BayHStA, Kurbayern Äußeres Archiv 4591 f. 96–114 and 274–277 DECODE R9319 · DECODE R9424 · write-up	B
Correspondents. Unknown agent → Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria · München · ... Shelfmark. BayHStA, Kurbayern Äußeres Archiv 4591 f. 96–114 and 274–277 · DECODE R9319 · DECODE R9424 · write-up Status and prior art. Of the 14 DECODE records in this entry, 12 were read or broken here (kaa4591, 21 Sept 2026). Left open: R9319, a dot grille laid over clear cover letters (f. 115–118) that DECODE did not image; R9424, 12 June 1583 to Wilhelm V (Cologne war), monoalphabetic by IoC but no key found (R9422 cut off). R9291 is a key fragment. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
2.4	Dec 1541 (letter on the Nuremberg diet and Buda)no. 262	● Farnese chancery cipher, Spagna 1A (IA-1, DECODE R91), companion of Vatican Challenge Part 5 noted attempted, open rule-scoredFarnese's ciphered despatch to the nuncio in Spain, December 1541, on the Nuremberg diet and Buda; unread.	AAV, Segr. Stato, Spagna 1A (IA-1; DECODE R91) DECODE R91 · DECODE R92	C
Correspondents. Cardinal Alessandro Farnese → Giovanni Poggio, nuncio in Spain (probably; same dossier) · Rome → Spain · Italian Shelfmark. AAV, Segr. Stato, Spagna 1A (IA-1; DECODE R91) · DECODE R91 · DECODE R92 Status and prior art. DECODE R91: five cipher page images and four cleartext Farnese letters of summer 1542, downloaded and measured here 18 Sept 2026 (targets/vatican5/NOTES.md). 2,956 digits; a different key and design from IA-2: doubled digits at 0.88 of chance (IA-2 0.30), wide gaps not word division. No key sheet, no decipherment on the record. The companion IA-2 (DECODE R92, the Farnese letter of 15 Apr 1542, Vatican Challenge Part 5) was solved by Simon Klee in Sept 2026 (targets/vatican5/SOLUTION.md) and is recorded in SOLVED_CATALOGUE.md; his key does not transfer. Why it matters. Farnese's ciphered despatch to the nuncio in Spain, December 1541, on the Nuremberg diet and Buda; unread. Scores. R92 solved by Simon Klee and moved out; entry narrowed to R91, which was measured but not attacked here. Verify first. Try Klee's method (mixed one-/two-digit monoalphabetic with dotted codes, null search) on R91 before anything else; then look for its decifrato in the Spagna series or the Nunziature print.
2.1	22 April 1428no. 152	◇ Pandolfo Malatesta, archbishop of Patras, to Gianfrancesco Gonzaga noted attempted, open rule-scoredPandolfo Malatesta's secret plans for his brother-in-law after the peace of Ferrara; one of the oldest unread cipher passages with images online.	Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Archivio Gonzaga (DECODE R1854, image 1) DECODE R1854	B
Correspondents. Pandolfo Malatesta (Rome) → Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, lord of Mantua · Rome · Latin Shelfmark. Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Archivio Gonzaga (DECODE R1854, image 1) · DECODE R1854 Status and prior art. DECODE R1854 image 1 (the record holds four letters; images 2-5 read here, see targets/r1854/). Three cipher runs, 262 letter-like signs (ſſ, η, ʒ, H, cc, ∩, I, ƀʒ ...) inside a clear Latin letter on the peace of Ferrara (April 1428). Not a simple or homophonic substitution in Latin or Italian (controls pass); the R1853 register's Malatesta keys do not fit. Why it matters. Pandolfo Malatesta's secret plans for his brother-in-law after the peace of Ferrara; one of the oldest unread cipher passages with images online. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Pandolfo's 1 March 1438 letter, nearly all in cipher (ASMn AG b. 1081 c. 159-160), survives with its contemporary translation (b. 840 c. 95, printed by Falcioni 2015): if the system is the same, that pair gives the key. Also Falcioni, Quaderni dell'Accademia Fanestre 3 (2004), on Malatesta chancery ciphers.
0.6	undatedno. 190	◇ Sforza side to Zorzo (Giorgio) del Maino, reply of 4 May 1446 noted attempted, open rule-scoredCiphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known.	BnF, italien 1583, f 68 DECODE R7898	C
Correspondents. Unknown sender → unknown recipient · Paris · unknown Shelfmark. BnF, italien 1583, f 68 · DECODE R7898 Status and prior art. DECODE R7898, BnF ital. 1583 f. 68 = Sforza side’s reply to Zorzo Maino, 4 May 1446 (Mazzatinti 1883). Attempted 21 Sept 2026: transcribed with the same-day f. 70 (Amidani, on R7899); syllabic Sforza-type cipher, no matching key among DECODE’s Sforza keys. See targets/it1583/. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Unknown sender to unknown recipient; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
5.0	19 Mar 1522no. 151	● Rodrigo Niño (Naples) to Charles I skipped: key in print (Kolosova's Cifra 15) but not reachable; blind attack infeasible on this scan rule-scoredCiphered letter of Rodrigo Niño to Charles I, 19 Mar 1522; what the cipher hides is not known.	National Library of Spain, MSS/20213/27 DECODE R1182 · Notes	C
Correspondents. Rodrigo Niño → Charles I · Naples · Spanish Shelfmark. National Library of Spain, MSS/20213/27 · DECODE R1182 · Notes Status and prior art. DECODE R1182: Non-decrypted. Viewed here 21 Sept 2026: a clear Spanish letter with one 8-line ciphered paragraph on f. 1v, bracketed by the nulls 'mer' ... 'mer por'. The system is Kolosova's Cifra 15 (Rodrigo Niño 1522: simple substitution with syllable nulls; Kolosova 2017 thesis pp. 452-459, 2024 book, via Tomokiyo), but her key was not reachable (RODERIC PDF lacks the chapter; the book is paid). A ciphertext-only annealing attack on the eye transcription did not converge. Notes: targets/nino1522/NOTES.md. Why it matters. Ciphered letter of Rodrigo Niño to Charles I, 19 Mar 1522; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Get the Ko.15 alphabet from Kolosova 2024 ('Cifrarios', pp. 171-224), or a full-resolution BNE BDH scan of MSS/20213/27.
4.0	1 Jan 1555 – 25 Apr 1558no. 264	◇ Alvise Mocenigo (Rome 1558) and Sebastiano Foscarini (Paris 1680) to the Doge, 2 ciphertexts closed: R1873 = Mocenigo, Rome 25 Apr 1558, read by Bonavoglia (crittologia.eu); R1871 = Foscarini, Paris 11 Sep 1680, deciphered by Bonavoglia but offline; attempted here, 3-digit nomenclator, not read (key needed) rule-scoredCiphered despatches of ... to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1555 – 25 Apr 1558; what the cipher hides is not known.	ASVe, IT ASVe 0045 010 (Serie) Busta 30 (2 items) DECODE R1871 · DECODE R1873	C
Correspondents. ... → unknown recipient · England? · Italian Shelfmark. ASVe, IT ASVe 0045 010 (Serie) Busta 30 (2 items) · DECODE R1871 · DECODE R1873 Status and prior art. DECODE R1871–R1873 (2 records): Non-decrypted, 6 pp., homophonic; alphabet, numerical; images login. Not viewed here. DECODE note: The image is not in the public domain. Publishing it is only possible with the permission of the archive. Why it matters. Ciphered despatches of ... to unknown recipient, 1 Jan 1555 – 25 Apr 1558; what the cipher hides is not known. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Search the printed correspondence and Tomokiyo for a decipherment; then view the images (DECODE login) and transcribe.
1.2	undatedno. 75	● Trigram code fragment 'Suite du No 13 / No 24' noted skipped: impossible without the key or the rest of the series rule-scoredAn unidentified numbered trigram-code series copied by the Deciphering Branch; only No 24's tail is imaged.	BL, Add MS 32280 f 3 DECODE R8871	B
Correspondents. Unknown sender → unknown recipient · London · unknown (French headings) Shelfmark. BL, Add MS 32280 f 3 · DECODE R8871 Status and prior art. DECODE R8871, viewed 21 Sept 2026. The leaf is a ruled form in a French hand, 'Suite du No 13' / 'No 24', with 77 three-character groups (letters, digits, œ), 76 of them distinct and near-flat statistics. It is a large or enciphered code, too short to rebuild. None of the 26 DECODE key records of Add MS 32280 (R8890, R8894–R8919, 1790–1842, mostly Dutch numeric codes) fits. R8870 (ff. 1–2) is an unrelated numeric letter. Notes in targets/r8871/NOTES.md. Why it matters. An unidentified numbered trigram-code series copied by the Deciphering Branch; only No 24's tail is imaged. Scores. Scored by rule from DECODE metadata (class from key signals, solvability from key, length and language, importance from the correspondents); not yet reviewed by hand. Verify first. Needs No 13 and the rest of the series (probably unimaged ff. 4–54 of Add MS 32280) or its key.

How the scores were set

Importance asks what a full reading would add: 5 for a first-hand report of a major event by a principal witness (du Bellay in London 1529, Lanssac at the Polish election), 2 for routine business. Solvability asks whether the material online is enough: 5 when deciphered siblings of the same hand and year sit in the same volume, 1 for one short letter in an unknown language. Difficulty is the technical work at the keyboard: 1 for aligning a known sibling, 5 for a statistics-only attack on a large homophonic nomenclator. The default priority weights importance 0.4, solvability 0.35 and ease 0.25 (ease is 6 minus difficulty), rescaled to 0–10; move the sliders to see the order change. Every score is a judgement made before viewing the leaf, so treat the order as a work plan, not a finding.

Checked: catalogue descriptions and item numbering; presence or absence of a decipherment item in each volume; shelfmarks from the IIIF manifests; fr. 16127 and fr. 3484 f. 34 on the image. For the DECODE entries: the record metadata and notes, key records from the same archive series, overlap with this repository's targets and with Tomokiyo's list (27 groups dropped as solved or already tracked). Not checked: the other leaves; Tomokiyo's François I article; the Scheurer, Savasse and Mousset editions; any DECODE image. Entries tagged rule-scored were scored by a script from DECODE's metadata (a key in the series or on the leaf, length, language, who wrote to whom) and not yet reviewed by hand. User must verify each entry on the image and in the literature before attacking it.