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September 11, 2007

1624 Cryptography Book Up for Auction

Rare 17th Century work on Cryptography
Title: Cryptomenytices et cryptographiae libri IX. In quibus & planissima Steganographiae à Johanne Trithemio, abbate Spanheymensi & Herbipolensi, admirandi ingenij viro, magicè & aenigmaticè olim conscriptae, enodatio traditur. Inspersis ubiquè authoris ac aliorum, non contemnendis inventis...

Author: Selenus, Gustavus [pseud. of August, Duke of Braunschweig-Luneburg]

Auction on September 13. Estimated price $5,000-$8,000.

EDITED TO ADD (9/13): A partial English translation.

Posted on September 11, 2007 at 12:21 PM • 14 Comments • View Blog Reactions

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Comments

It's the Cryptonomicon!

Posted by: Seth Gordon at September 11, 2007 12:39 PM

Oddly enough, this book has no chapters on stealing fast food, long lines at airports, or squids.

Posted by: Sam at September 11, 2007 12:49 PM

Bruce, is this on your 'wish list' ? :-)

Posted by: stacy at September 11, 2007 1:13 PM

Immediately after reading the entry and contemplating the publication date, my first thought was, "Is it bad that my first thought of cryptography involves digital methods?" (I instantaneously thought of RC4, AES, DES, etc. It took a second to think of One-Time-Pads, Polyalphabetic Ciphers, and Caesar Ciphers.)

Posted by: ArchonMagnus at September 11, 2007 1:21 PM

Just in time for Christmas!

Posted by: Kiaser Zohsay at September 11, 2007 1:26 PM

l'argent de poche for Bruce.

He could award it as a prize for his next contest!

Posted by: Thomas Jefferson Beale at September 11, 2007 1:41 PM

Partial translation to English is available at

http://www.sirbacon.org/ResearchMaterial/NineBooksofCryptography.htm

Posted by: Durable Alloy at September 11, 2007 2:01 PM

Okay, enough with the bashing about the McDonald's exploit.

Yes, it seems like small change when cast against larger and more profitable forms of fraud. But then, when you learn cryptography, you start with simple transposition ciphers, and then move on to more complex ones.

When you learn sleight-of-hand, you practice the small things and the basics.

Discussion of the McExploit helps people grasp security concepts and social engineering.

Posted by: Nick Lancaster at September 11, 2007 2:23 PM

20% buyer's premium! They can't be serious!

Posted by: Polonius at September 11, 2007 2:33 PM

I'll wait until they have it on Amazon.

Posted by: Joe at September 11, 2007 3:33 PM

Any idea whether it's snake-oil or serious crypto (for the time)?

Posted by: Paeniteo at September 12, 2007 2:42 AM

20% buyer's premium is pretty much the norm now, within a point or so. Special discount rate if you're buying an item for a few hundred thou. But with luck, that book won't bring such a bid.

And yet the auction business goes on, and makes a profit. I don't understand it either.

Posted by: Porlock Junior at September 12, 2007 11:25 PM

For those who like old book (and can't afford to buy this one), you can go to http://www.petitcolas.net/fabien/steganography/steganographica/index.html and watch the 1665's "Schola Steganographica".

Posted by: xavier caballe at September 13, 2007 2:33 PM

Almost worth the 6000USD to find out what is the difference between "scattering of letters" and "strewing of letters".

Maybe Bruces next cipher should adopt the terminoligy -- " And lo though shalt scatter the letters according to thine seed then thow strewest thine scattered letters about thine S-box unto the fourth and twentieth round. "

The reference implementation could be coded in LISP to make reading even easier.

Posted by: supersnail at September 14, 2007 6:59 AM