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The Safe Cipher Is a String of Numbers (illustration)
FILE No.42Unsolved

The Safe Cipher Is a String of Numbers

Difficulty ★☆☆about 3 minEveryday MysteryCiphersAlphabet
A string of numbers "19-1-6-5" was left on the wall. Read it by alphabet order. What word is it?

Case Record

On the wall of the victim’s room, a string of numbers was written in pencil.

19 - 1 - 6 - 5

The victim loved English, and the detective thought, "Maybe they are replaced with letters." Apply the alphabet as A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 ... Z = 26.

There was one small safe in the room.

Your question

What English word does this cipher spell?

Case Files

Evidence

Diagram

Numbers written on the wallPositionNumber1st192nd13rd64th5A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, ..., Z = 26
Diagram

Timeline

  1. A string of numbers is found in the victim’s room.

Hints

If you get stuck, open the hints one at a time, in order.

Open hint 1

Count the alphabet in order, with A = 1.

Open hint 2

What is the 19th letter?

Open hint 3

Is it connected to something in the room?

Solve It

Your question

What English word does this cipher spell?

Choose the answer closest to the truth.

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The Truth

SAFE

The answer is SAFE.

Counting from A = 1, the 19th letter is S, the 1st is A, the 6th is F and the 5th is E. Together they spell "SAFE," pointing to the safe in the room.

You can find alphabet positions by counting A (1), B (2), C (3), D (4), E (5), F (6) and so on. It is a basic cipher you solve just by replacing the numbers one at a time.

Converted to lettersNumberLetter19S1A6F5ESAFE
Diagram of the solution

Key Points

  • With number ciphers, first try alphabet order
  • Once you have the letters, check they read as a word
  • See whether the word connects to something at the scene

Why people get fooled

Seeing a string of numbers, you start thinking of dates or phone numbers.

Similar tricks

  • The alphabet-order cipher type
  • The type that links the cipher to an object at the scene

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