Royal Australian Mint Releases Coin With Code-Breaking Challenge In the Design (abc.net.au) 41
New submitter IsThisNickNameUsed writes: The Australian Mint has released a coin in partnership with the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) that has incorporated a code-breaking challenge in the design. The coin is to mark the 75th anniversary of the spy agency and incorporates a code with four layers of encryption -- each layer progressively harder to solve. "We thought this was a really fun way to engage people in code-breaking with the hope that, if they make it through all four levels of coding on the coin, maybe they'll apply for a job at the Australian Signals Directorate," said ASD director-general Rachel Noble.
Fitting the codes on the faces of the coin was a complex process, she said. "Ensuring people could see the code to decrypt it was one of the challenges our people were able to solve with ASD, to create a unique and special product."
Ms Noble said that while there were no classified messages on the coin, those who crack the codes could discover "some wonderful, uplifting messages." "Like the early code breakers in ASD, you can get through some of the layers with but a pencil and paper but, right towards the end, you may need a computer to solve the last level," she said.
UPDATE: A 14-year-old boy cracked the code "in just over an hour."
Fitting the codes on the faces of the coin was a complex process, she said. "Ensuring people could see the code to decrypt it was one of the challenges our people were able to solve with ASD, to create a unique and special product."
Ms Noble said that while there were no classified messages on the coin, those who crack the codes could discover "some wonderful, uplifting messages." "Like the early code breakers in ASD, you can get through some of the layers with but a pencil and paper but, right towards the end, you may need a computer to solve the last level," she said.
UPDATE: A 14-year-old boy cracked the code "in just over an hour."
Is it... (Score:2)
900 DOLLARY DOOS?
Re:Is it... (Score:4, Funny)
I think you'll find it's actually a 50c coin with a big "75" written on it to avoid confusion.
Re: (Score:1)
given its shape - 100% of Australian's know it is a 50 cent piece without looking at it.
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How about 100% of non-Australian tourists (i.e. the people who actually need a number to reference)?
Not that anyone uses cash anymore....
Re: (Score:2)
the cost of an 6 hour over seas collect call non pay phone.
Re:Is it... (Score:4, Informative)
It was relatively easy to decode the first message on the coin and the second isn't much harder. You can see a clear view of the coin and they even give you the text at the Australian Signals Directorate. [asd.gov.au]
It took me about an hour to decrypt the clues, but it took about three hours to learn the Python to do the last part. I could have done it in about five minutes in Basic, but learning the fundamentals of Python is one of my goals for this year. Strings, lambda, lists, tuples, sets, and dictionaries are still new to me.
Anyway, I'm sure by now there are plenty of sites that list the solution, but I haven't searched for any of them. You'll know when you get the correct solution, but just as a teaser, the last word in the final code is "impossible" to miss.
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That text would have saved me a lot of work. I had to fix numerous bugs in my transcription of the final ciphertext, mainly because 3 and 8 are quite similar at the level of detail in the image.
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Agreed. Having the correct text to start with prevented any transcription or blurry image problem. My main time sink was my self-induced challenge to learn the Python code to do the last decryption instead of using a different language I was more familiar with.
The previous time I used Python was proving to myself that the solution to the "100 prisoner problem" was a correct strategy. It also was clarified using lists which were manipulated differently in Python that I was used to. 100 prisoner problem [youtube.com]
bought 2 (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"This is Nicole from the NBN"
or
"Your amazon account has been renewed for $99"
or
"This is Jason from Microsoft Technical department"
Gone (Score:2)
I would have bought one for $12.50 AUD but it looks like they've all been snapped up.
Re: (Score:2)
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Either that or they were all bought up by assholes looking to resell at a profit.
Solved it! (Score:4, Funny)
The message is "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."
Re: (Score:2)
Ovaltinees were pretty awesome as a kid!
Re: (Score:2)
Nah, it'll be "Where the bloody hell are you?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Just so you know (Score:1)
Finally (Score:5, Funny)
Actual cryptocurrency
Re: (Score:3)
Yup. A genuine cryptocoin.
Re: (Score:3)
Now all they need to do is chain it to some blocks.
Re: (Score:2)
I expect that there are quite a few pre-teenage boys with enough interest in ciphers to do this, and they can't legally work in either sector.
Almost cracked (Score:5, Informative)
There is a final fifth layer that needs to be solved
Details on the Australian Broadcasting Commissions web site at https://www.abc.net.au/news/20... [abc.net.au]
Re: (Score:2)
Must be concealed, because the first four layers account for all of the alphanumeric symbols and the obvious symbols on the obverse. My guess is that it's in the weird symbols on the bottom of the inverse, between RXX5 and BGOA. Or maybe there's something engraved on the rim which isn't visible in the images in the ABC article.
Re: (Score:2)
No, on further consideration it's in the shades of grey in the circular rings of symbols.
Re: (Score:1)
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You just need the right imagination. Try being adaptible. If you thing the hex is the fifth, what are the others?
The braille was so obvious I did not consider it might be the first layer. I thought the colour of the characters in the two rings was the 4th layer. I have decoded one of them, but not the other. One of them has two colours, and can be interpreted as binary to give a 10 character message, 8 of which are obvious in meaning, but the middle two are odd. Might be a clue to the outer ring colour prob
Re: (Score:1)
dumb question (Score:2)
"... 50,000 of these specialty coins will be available for purchase from the Royal Australian Mint."
So...they're expecting people to go out of their way to but these commemorative coins just to solve a puzzle?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
"... 50,000 of these specialty coins will be available for purchase from the Royal Australian Mint."
So...they're expecting people to go out of their way to but these commemorative coins just to solve a puzzle?
At $12.50 a piece they were bought very quickly. Completely sold out already (I tried to buy one).
Cracked (Score:2)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/20... [abc.net.au]
Can't have been that difficult, but I applaud the ASD for having a go.
Re: (Score:2)
Wasn't intended to be hyper difficult, it was a recruitment campaign, but don't underestimate the ability of young geniuses.