Given that several living people know exactly what it says, I don’t think it would be entirely right to classify the fourth (unbroken) cipher on the “Kryptos” sculptures outside the CIA building in Langley VA as a “cipher mystery”. From my point of view, it’s not so much a case of “what does it say?” as “when we will find out?”
All the same, here’s a link to a New York Times news item from late 2010 you might possibly have missed, telling how its sculptor Jim Sanborn is (basically) getting tired of waiting for Elonka Dunin to crack its message. 🙂 As a result, he’s now released a few letters from K4’s plaintext: BERLIN. Incidentally, I found the story via Slashdot, whose comment cup brimmeth over – as ever – with Ovaltine references (such as “The mug is round. The jar is round. They should call it Roundtine”, etc).
Regardless, the Kryptos cipher sculpture has four parts: K1 and K2 are both polyalphabetic Vigenere ciphers (keywords: “Kryptos, Palimpsest” and “Kryptos, Abscissa” respectively), while K3 is a transposition cipher. Sanborn has said that the first three parts hold clues to K4: e.g. because K3 is a (slightly wobbly) version of Howard Carter’s account of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb, it seems fairly likely to me that the sentence that originally followed it (“wonderful things” or “yes, it is wonderful”) is connected with K3, perhaps as a keyword.
One of the things making K4 tricky to break is that it is a meagre 97 characters long: here it is with the revealed partial plaintext next to it (letters 64 to 69) that Sanborn has given us:-
...........................OBKR ...........................----
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO -------------------------------
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP ----------------------------BER
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR LIN----------------------------
What, you may ask, do I make of all this? Well, the implication would seem to be that this is neither a transposition cipher (such as K3) nor indeed (if there is some kind of progressivist increment from K1 and K2) a straightforward polyalpha. Furthermore, given that Sanborn appears to be expressing some kind of impatience, it seems slightly unlikely to me that there is a further (as yet unrevealed) part of the cipher installed in the CIA’s grounds.
Of course, it’s not a monoalpha (IN –> TT): and though 6 doubled letters (BB QQ SS SS ZZ TT) is slightly above chance for a 97 character text, that’s not hellishly improbable. Really, it does looks a lot like a keyworded Vigenere polyalpha once again… but it apparently is not. So what is it?
I don’t know: but if you think this is something you’d like to try cracking, there’s a (remarkably active) Kryptos newsgroup on Yahoo that would seem to be just perfect for you. Good luck and happy hunting!
If you take the initial (?) as a “What letter goes here?” and you guessed “R,” since if you put it into 2 7×7 squares, the next 3 letters are SPQ for SPQR. you may be right . If you google ” SPQR manhole cover” you will see an ancient Roman one with inscription. (There is a “manhole cover ” on the CIA grounds)
I have the meaning of the Kryptos Fourth Code. The deciphered meaning of the code reads; “NEAR ROUND DINNER BELL IN BETWEEN NORTHWEST BARRACKS ROW ALL INSIDE NSA LIMITS AND ALL VANN KNOWS WE KNOW TOO CROSS ASKEW NORTHWEST CROSS AND YOU SALUTE A ROSE IN VALOR”. Mr. John Paul Vann believed that during the Phoenix Operations in Viet Nam, one half of the VC listed as killed were listed as such to meet Phoenix Goals. Vann said that they were,”POST FACTO IDENTIFICATION”.
As a Disabled American (U.S. NAVY), I too “SALUTE A ROSE IN VALOR”(UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FLAG). All of the men and women who put their lives and total effort forward to protect us deserve our thanks and much more than this. Thank you,
Rick A. Roberts
Kryptos K4 :
” Long is Berlin-Moscou by slane3 ”
Agur ! Ramuntxo Bartolomé.
“NYPVTT” = “OKXASS”, in my deciphering of Kryptos 4. When I entered OKXASS into the internet, “Deutchsches Worterbuch”, appeared. It is also known as the DWB. The DWB was written by the Brothers Grimm and eight other authors in Leipzig, Germany. It was started in 1838 and finished by others in 1961. It is the largest and most comprehensive dictionary of the German Language.The Brothers Grimm also wrote a story titled, “Leipzig”.
From September 21 to December 23, 1933 the Leipzig Trial was held in Leipzig, Germany. It found that the, “Laws of Nazi Germany went against the basic ideas of justice”. Hitler came into power soon after this. His favorite musical composer was from Leipzig, Germany.
Many people believed that Hitler was still alive in the 1980’s. They thought he was in Argentina or Mato Grosso, Brazil under the assumed name of Adolf Leipzig.
I began thinking about the coordinates that Mr. Sanborn had given. They were Thirty – Eight Degrees, Fifty – Seven Minutes, Six & One – Half Seconds North Latitude, and Seventy – Seven Degrees, Eight Minutes, Forty – Four Seconds West Longitude. Both of the coordinates are positive!
Enter these coordinates and you get, YarKant, Kashgar, Xinjiang, China. This is where Mahmud al – Kashgari wrote the First Diyan – Lugar -it Turkic – Arabic Exemplary Dictionary. Also, the Afaq Khoja Tomb that is the Holiest Muslim Site in Xinjiang is located here. It was built in the Seventeenth Century. The IdKah Mosque(Kashga Minuet) is located here and a statue of Mao that is Eighteen meters or Fifty – Nine Feet tall is in the City Space.
“NYPVTT” = “OKXASS”, in my deciphering of Kryptos 4. I believe that there is something or some things buried at the base of the flag pole(1990 Location) on NSA Grounds. I think that it is something that Hitler and his followers had plundered that has great religious and or historical value and is of Muslim Faith. There may also be another coded message that further can be used to locate this item.
Finally, I believe that my deciphering is correct and that this explains the tie to “BERLIN”, that Mr. Sanborn refers to.
Rick A, Roberts
I have taken a different approach to solving KRYPTOS 4. I have a partial deciphering of it. It includes both “BERLIN”, and “CLOCK”. OBKK = AEKK or A KEE or A KEY … YPVTT = BYRLNN or BERLIN. MZFP = TIMR or TIMER. KWQDK = KLOCK or CLOCK. ZXTJ = IZNT or ISN’T. C = A. DIGK = CLOK or CLOCK. U = YOU. H = N or NEVER. UAASUE = USSUD or UUSSD or USED. C = A. KR = KY or KEY. The partial message reads,” A KEY … BERLIN TIMER CLOCK ISN’T A CLOCK YOU NEVER USED A KEY “. RICK A. ROBERTS
In my deciphering, it should read “NYPVTT” = BYRLNN or BERLIN. RICK A. ROBERTS
Hi Nick, What do you and others think of my posting of my latest work on solving KRYPTOS 4? I would like to get your thoughts on this. Thanks, RICK R.
Rick A. Roberts: for what it’s worth, I generally steer my blog well clear of the Kryptos sculpture’s ciphers. 😐
Nick,
Thanks for the quick response. This KRYPTOS 4 enigma has tied me for some time now. I am still working on other part of it. I have not seen where anyone else has a partial solution or solution that has both “BERLIN” and “CLOCK” in their work. I hope that this stirs up some work that others are doing. RICK A. ROBERTS
I have been working some more on KRYPTOS 4. ” A KEY YOU KNOW WE ALL FEEL FALL WAS A TIME YOU WOULD NEVER BOOK OFF FOR. BERLIN TIMER CLOCK IS NOT A CLOCK YOU DO NOT USE A KEY “. So far, this is what I have derived. Thank you,
RICK A. ROBERTS
Dear Rick
“I have not seen where anyone else has a partial solution or solution that has both “BERLIN” and “CLOCK”…”
Just because you haven’t seen it online doesn’t mean that nobody has the solution or part solution.
You know you can send your solution to Mr Sanborn for confirmation. Why don’t you do that?
If anybody wants the mask to Kryptos K4 let me know. It has been verified by Mr Sanborn.
Dear Tinker,
Thank you for your suggestion. I am recovering from heart surgery and have not been doing much lately. I had another part of the that I had deciphered, but I am not sure where it is at this time. I am not sure where to send my proposed solution/partial solution to. i know that Mr. Sanborn lives in Florida. I believe that I might be on to something. I am going to look at KRYPTOS 4 some more and see what I can come up with. I thought that Nick would see what I have posted and perhaps open a site up on KRYPTOS 4. Thanks,
Rick A. Roberts
Dear Rick
This is the website. Scoll about half way down to find the Kryptos link.
http://jimsanborn.net/main.html
This is another website that you might be interested in. Gary will definitely get back to you on your solution.
http://kryptosrevisited.com/kryptos-sculpture/contacting-jim-sanborn/
Dear Tinker,
Thank you very much for your help and the sites that you gave me. I am going to send my solution that I have so far worked out to both of the sites. Again, Thanks very much for the information.
Dear Tinker I am going to send my solution that I have so far worked out to both of the sites. Again, Thanks very much for the information.
Dear Tinker,
I tried to use the site, http:// jim sanborn.net/main.html , however Mr. Sanborn requests a $50 fee be paid via Western union Money Order before he will reply. This would allow for two back and forth email communications with him. I have not tried the second site yet. Thanks.
Dear Rick
I hope you are felling better and on the way to recovery. Mr. Sanborn, by intruding the fee, is trying to cut down on the crack pots that send him so many emails. In my honest opinion he is just trying to make more money from the sculpture.
The website is legitimate and I have used it myself and paid the $50.00.
If you contact Gary he is one of the best Kryptos specialist I know and will definitely look at whatever you send him and give you and advice for free. He is very dedicated to solving K4 and is a very honest man.
I hope this information helps.
Good luck and all the best.
Tinker,
I had posted on Gary’s site before, but I could not do so now as I can not remember my password. I have some more of my deciphering that I am going to post here when I find them. I have them in a grid book where I did my work. Thanks very much for your good wishes.
I believe that I have indeed deciphered KRYPTOS Part 4 as I previously had stated. My deciphered message contains 97 characters The character immediately preceding the 97 characters is a “?” for the ending of KRYPTOS Part 3. The solution is, ” A KEY YOU KNOW WE ALL FEEL FALL WAS A TIME YOU WOULD NEVER BOOK OFF FOR BERLIN TIMER CLOCK IS NOT A CLOCK YOU DO NOT USE A KEY “. I could not post this to Gary’s site , as it was down for now. Please let me know what others out there think about my solution.
I sent an email to Mr. Sanborn about my proposed solution to KRYTOS Part 4. I received a response back from Nancy, and she stated that Mr. Sanborn would not respond to an inquiry about KRYPTOS 4 if a $50 fee was not paid. I know that he gets many requests, but all I would like to know is if I am correct in my solution. So far as I know, my solution is the only one that contains both “BERLIN”, and “CLOCK” in it. My solution has exactly 97 characters in it too.
Nick Pelling, Elonka Dunin,
I would like you to look at my deciphering of KRYPTOS 4 that I posted on this site on 15 October, 2015. What do you think of my solution ? I really would appreciate your view on my work. Thank you very much.
I wish a Happy Holiday and Peace to all !
Rick A. Roberts: sounds completely opposite to anything Sanborn would have written to me. But then again I don’t really follow the whole Kryptos story. 😐
Nick,
Thanks for giving me your input about my work on KRYPTOS 4. Mr. Sanborn requests that a $50 fee be paid so that he will communicate with anyone who has a possible answer to his enigma. What I like about my proposed solution, is that it has exactly 97 characters in it. It also has ” BERLIN “, and ” CLOCK ” in it. I wish that I could also get Elonka Dunin to give me her input.
Nick, I really enjoy your ” Cipher Mysteries ” site and I enjoy all of the contributions that everyone makes. It is excellent ! Thanks very much.
Hello, I found the sequence and the decoding section 4 of the code KRYPTOS. The USUAL ENUMERATION of “OBJECTS”, 2 hours of work. Look closely and you will see, certainly not 26 years. Anyone interested please contact on [email protected]
During time of Zodiac Crimes, at Bob’s Big Boy in Vallejo, a Zodiac book by Robert Graysmith was left there in a paper bag(Autographed) by an older man who resembled Larry Kane. It was given as a gift to a younger man there who was very interested in the Zodiac Killer. A photo of the old man was taken and given to someone known as the ” WEBMASTER RYAN ” at a later date. The older man was said to have been driving a tan/brown Mercury with license plate ” 3 888 “. This corresponds with the three eights in circles of the ” I AM … ” Zodiac Code. I think that whoever drove the car with the ” 3 888 ” could very well have been the Zodiac Killer.
(On corner of Uhlandstrabe and Northeast Kurfurstendamm stands Mr Dieters Berlin Clock The Mengenlehreuhr Berlin).
I did this 02/10/2020 6 am-9 am sent it to Mr. Jim Sanborn and he let me know it was not correct last May. Now there is a new hint out from August. Do we have a confirmation that this Hint is truly from Mr. Jim? Just not seeing a release for the hint!
Vigenere pass: QKSELYOIECBA
Places BERLINCLOCK in clue positions, although the rest is trashed. So, a key is possible. I’ve been brute forcing this thing for months after mapping letter locations.
Most posts that I see are unable to produce results, give these a spin using Elonka’s Vigenere cipher.
EAST=FLRV KEY FOR POSITION: RDUM
NORTHEAST=QQPRNGKSS KEY FOR POSITION: RIYWOYNKY
BERLIN=NYPVTT KEY FOR POSITION: ELYOIE
CLOCK=MZFPK KEY FOR POSITION: CBAQK
The masking technique used to solve Kryptos K4 and K5 was a combination of Alphanumeric Substitution(ANS) and character frequency charts. The 410 ANS Kryptos Note proves I solved Kryptos. Visit my website to see the solutions. http://www.kryptossolved.com
CIA Kryptos K4 was solved in 2016 and CIA Kryptos K5 was solved in 2023. The masking technique was Alphanumeric Substitution (ANS) cryptography and character frequency charts. My solution has been confirmed with the 410 ANS Kryptos Note.
K4 kryptos solution
inthecenterofthiscityeastnortheastnearrotesrathauschimesfromtheberlinclockcanbeheardacrossthesquare
By [email protected]