17th-Century Diplomatic Cipher Letter Successfully Decrypted After 350 Years
By
robin_reala
Fresh out the oven, still warm. Top of the tray.
Summary
A 350-year-old encrypted diplomatic letter from William Perwich, written in 1670 from the court of Louis XIV in France, has been successfully decrypted by multiple researchers. The letter, which had remained undeciphered for centuries, was the subject of a public challenge issued in August 2025. The breakthrough represents a significant historical discovery that provides new insights into 17th-century diplomatic communications and cryptography.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe letter sent by William Perwich on 9 April 1670 from the court of Louis XIV in France has been successfully decrypted, not once but twice.
Hidden in plain sight: an undeciphered letter from Louis XIV's France
The challenge set in my blog post of 4 August 2025 has been met.
You might also wanna read
Royal Society elects over 90 new Fellows including pioneers in palaeontology and oncofertility
The Royal Society has elected over 90 outstanding researchers from across the world as new Fellows for this year. The cohort includes pionee
royalsociety.org·7h ago
2026 Peer Review Report Challenges Crisis Narrative, Calls for Evidence-Based Assessment
The 2026 Future of Peer Review Report challenges the prevailing narrative that peer review is in crisis. Based on eight years of ScholarOne
silverchair.com·1d ago
How soccer's origins in 19th-century English boarding schools shaped the global game
An expert on global history and author of a 2025 book traces the origins of modern soccer (association football) to the well-heeled boarding
theconversation.com·1d ago
Joseon Dynasty's celestial and natural omens as recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty
This article presents a creative, conceptual piece about the Joseon dynasty of Korea (1392–1897), which meticulously recorded natural phenom
ajin.im·2d ago
AI helps historians decode centuries-old encrypted manuscripts and secret remedies
Artificial intelligence is helping historians decode centuries-old encrypted manuscripts and ciphers that have remained unread for hundreds
buff.ly·2d ago
Roman Insulae: Ancient High-Density Urban Living 2,000 Years Ago
This article explores the history of Roman apartment buildings (insulae) as a form of high-density urban living from 2000 years ago. It exam
commonedge.org·3d ago