1400s amateur crypto and human puzzle tendencies

[davidjackson]

Now then Aga, play nicely please, beer or no beer.

I understand that during the time period the ms was written, it is well documented that crypto was in common use for general government written communications that might foreseeably be subject to inspection by one's adversaries.

The Italian city states were using ciphers, not necessarily cryptography. By the end of the century a lot of governments were using ciphers; at the beginning, almost nobody.

This has the implication that knowledge of the existence and use of crypto, if not of the specific methods themselves, would have been reasonably widespread beyond those who actually used or computed crypto for official purposes. I don't know how well this is documented; namely: how much evidence is there for the use of cryptography outside of government in the early renaissance?

16th century, lots, Before 1450's, very little.

This You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. lays early ciphers out quite well.