Puzzle 1
Starter clue: G = E
NGAGQRGANWASXQYEFGAYCNTAGQRGAYNGOTKHYQEFGAY.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Rutherford B. Hayes Cryptograms Set 1
6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: N = E
GWYPTKSZKYNPMZANSNGCPEWPEZNYNMZGECZANFNYLGENEZPECKMZYHIXIKYFNIFSN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 3
Starter clue: E = O
JBHYKMKUQEMKURWKRYOHRGHPUDIAEYEFUEWEYKGUKKFEFZDHUKAZOHYPEREZQBYYEXKAERK.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
- F
- G
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Puzzle 4
Starter clue: C = E
AKCIFACQXFOJQGBQCNNFMZPCOSFQCGSAKCNAFACNZCJCMZGMAKCJQGACTAXGMFSSGQZCZAGAKCXQTXAXYCMN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
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- D
- E
- F
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- I
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Puzzle 5
Starter clue: K = E
KSKORHEJECKMWZTZMKAPZVOEUWJJDJWKWDMDOZMGNODQEJDQKMJKOEMUJWKNPLVEHTKOSEHKDQWETHDPMJOR.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
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- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = E
YSFIFPFITFCFIURFEAXUZOBCOKDBACE,HFUXF,POIZAF,UCEKBXOURBIEFIHIFPUORUCEXOPORUCEIFROTOBAKROQFIZMUIFKFXAIF.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
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Solver's cheat sheet
- Most common letters
- E T A O I N S H R D L U
- Most common 1-letter words
- A I
- Most common 2-letter words
- OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
- Most common 3-letter words
- THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
- Common double letters
- LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
- Common word endings
- -ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
- After an apostrophe
- T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “He serves his party best who serves the country best.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877, Inaugural Address, March 5, 1877 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=S B=D C=W D=L E=Y F=B G=E H=N I=J J=G K=U L=M M=Z N=H O=C P=X Q=R R=V S=P T=O U=Q V=K W=I X=A Y=T Z=F
- “Agriculture is the leading interest and the permanent industry of our people.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1879, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=H B=K C=D D=V E=N F=P G=A H=Y I=O J=Z K=U L=M M=S N=E O=X P=I Q=B R=Q S=L T=C U=J V=W W=G X=F Y=R Z=T
- “Whatever Government can fairly do to promote free popular education ought to be done.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1880, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=D B=H C=Q D=L E=O F=P G=F H=A I=Y J=W K=E L=J M=V N=X O=C P=I Q=G R=N S=Z T=S U=R V=K W=M X=B Y=T Z=U
- “The material progress and welfare of the States depend on the protection afforded to their citizens.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1878, Second Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=T B=G C=E D=K E=J F=A G=O H=B I=M J=P K=H L=Q M=N N=S O=L P=W Q=R R=Y S=F T=C U=V V=U W=X X=I Y=Z Z=D
- “Every citizen has an equal right to the honor and profit of entering the public service of his country.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1879, Third Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=Q B=W C=Z D=O E=I F=X G=D H=C I=K J=T K=E L=B M=N N=P O=R P=U Q=F R=Y S=V T=S U=G V=L W=H X=M Y=J Z=A
- “Wherever general education is found, peace, virtue, and social order prevail and civil and religious liberty are secure.”— Rutherford B. Hayes, 1880, Fourth Annual Message to CongressCipher key: A=U B=O C=N D=F E=D F=E G=X H=P I=R J=M K=S L=K M=Y N=Q O=I P=V Q=B R=L S=H T=G U=A V=Z W=J X=C Y=W Z=T