Historic cipher mapping

[Mark Knowles]

Yes... Maybe there is something like this already in existence?

Yes, there is or at least in development. I have shared my very large cipher collection with the DECODE database. You cannot make ciphers public without permission of the archives, however they seem to be developing a transcription system to get around it. Beata Megyesi who runs DECODE says they will be presenting it next summer.

I have worked a lot with DECODE since Michelle referred them to me. The truth is that so far I haven't got anything out of my involvement with them as I have been sharing my knowledge and ciphers with them and they haven't had any knowledge or ciphers to share with me that is from arpund the first half of the 15th century, as obviously ciphers from other eras are of little interest to me. However they have resources that I don't. And I hope my research will benefit from my involvement with them in the future.

Beata asked me if there any archives I would recommend they visit to take photos of ciphers and I suggested the Florence State Archives as they have well over 1000 cipher keys there. She checked it out and agreed it is an excellent idea and says they will go there in the springtime. I have requested some photoreproductions of enciphered letters from the Florence State Archives and hopefully they will have found them before Beata's visit if not I have asked Beata if she can locate them whilst she is there.