Chinese Gold Bar Cipher

Chinese Gold Bar Cipher – Mysteries Unsolved

Codes and ciphers have been used by the people of ancient times and the Chinese Gold Bar Cipher is one of those mysteries which still remain unsolved. The operation of a cipher is based on a piece of information known as a key or a crypto-variable wherein the encrypting process varies depending on the key that could change the detailed operation of the algorithm.

The key should be selected with the help of a cipher to encrypt a certain message without which it could be a difficult or even an impossible task to decrypt the result of the cipher-text into readable plaintext. In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm in the performance of encryption or decryption which is a series of well-defined steps followed as a procedure.

In 1933, General Wang of Shanghai, China had received seven gold bars wherein the designs resembled metal certificates which related to bank deposit with a U.S. Bank. The gold bars seems to have pictures, Chinese writing, some of which had a form of script writing as well as cryptogram in Latin letters and the difference was the mysterious pictures and writings that were found on the bars which were engraved on them.

Portrays a Transaction 

With a total of 1.8 kilograms, the Chinese writing is presumed to portray a transaction of over $300,000,000 which is not yet solved till date. The reason for presenting General Wang with such a type of an elaborate gift from a secret admirer would have been a lot easier to determine if the script on the gold bar was solved.

There seems to be a dispute with regards to the validity of the claim for the deposit and the same could be resolved if someone could decipher the cryptograms on the gold bars. Large images of the said bars could be viewed at IACR.org.

The encryptions seem to incorporate multiple languages, probably Chinese and English and in this particular case, one needs to be a part historian and part computer scientist. Chinese seems to love numerologyand it is a fact that there are 7 bars weighing 1.8 kg that were delivered to Wang in 1933.

Chinese Numerology 

The number `7’ symbolizes – togetherness and is a lucky number for relationships. Moreover it is also recognized to be the lucky number in the West and is also one of the rare numbers which is great in Western as well as Chinese cultures. It seems to be a lucky number since it sounds like the Chinese character `Pinvin: q’ which means arise. According to Chinese tradition, taking the number 18 into consideration, the number 18 is - `shi ba’, though it can be read as `yao ba’ which sounds ` yao fa’, which means that one is on the way to prosper and building floors of number `18’, are very expensive in China. The Chines Gold Bar cipher is yet to be unravelled and probably with more research and studies,perhaps we could get to know on the scripts and images portrayed on the gold bars.