Secret decoder ring
Encyclopedia
A secret decoder ring is a device which allows one to decode a simple substitution cipher
- or to encrypt a message by working in the opposite direction.
As inexpensive toys, they have been often used as promotional items by retailers, radio and television programs from the 1930s through to the current day.
Decoders, whether badges or rings, are a fun way for children to tap into a common fascination with encryption
, cipher
s, and secret codes
, and use to send hidden messages back and forth to one another.
developed in the 15th Century by Leon Battista Alberti. Rather than the complex polyalphabetic Alberti cipher
method, the decoders for children invariably use simple Caesar cipher
substitutions.
The most well-known example started in 1934 with the Ovaltine
company's sponsored radio program Little Orphan Annie
. The fan club's member's handbook included a simple substitution cipher with a resulting numeric cipher text. This was followed the next year with a membership badge or pin which included a cipher disk - enciphering the letters A-Z to numbers 1-26. Similar badges and pocket decoders continued with the Captain Midnight
radio and television programs.
None of these early decoders were in the form of finger rings
, but "secret compartment" rings were common radio program premiums and in the early 1960s secret decoder rings appeared - notably in conjunction with the Jonny Quest
television program sponsored by PF Shoes
. A later, less ornate, decoder ring was offered by Kix Cereals. and the men's magazine Oui
offered a Captain Jet Decoder Ring- and in 2000 Ovaltine offered a Secret Decoder Ring to be worn on the finger which used their traditional A-Z to 1-26 scheme.
shows aimed at children. These could be decoded for a preview of the next episode of the show.
There is an urban legend, immortalized in the movie A Christmas Story
that the Little Orphan Annie radio show transmitted a secret message that deciphered to: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine
."
Substitution cipher
In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are replaced with ciphertext according to a regular system; the "units" may be single letters , pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth...
- or to encrypt a message by working in the opposite direction.
As inexpensive toys, they have been often used as promotional items by retailers, radio and television programs from the 1930s through to the current day.
Decoders, whether badges or rings, are a fun way for children to tap into a common fascination with encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
, cipher
Cipher
In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...
s, and secret codes
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
, and use to send hidden messages back and forth to one another.
History
Secret decoders are generally circular scales; descendants of the cipher diskCipher disk
A cipher disk is an enciphering and deciphering tool developed in 1470 by the Italian architect and author Leon Battista Alberti. He constructed a device, consisting of two concentric circular plates mounted one on top of the other...
developed in the 15th Century by Leon Battista Alberti. Rather than the complex polyalphabetic Alberti cipher
Alberti cipher
- Leon Battista Alberti :Created in the 15th century , it was the peak of cryptography at that time. Its inventor was Leon Battista Alberti, an illegitimate son of an Italian nobleman. He was also interested in painting and writing, though he is probably best known for his architecture...
method, the decoders for children invariably use simple Caesar cipher
Caesar cipher
In cryptography, a Caesar cipher, also known as a Caesar's cipher, the shift cipher, Caesar's code or Caesar shift, is one of the simplest and most widely known encryption techniques. It is a type of substitution cipher in which each letter in the plaintext is replaced by a letter some fixed number...
substitutions.
The most well-known example started in 1934 with the Ovaltine
Ovaltine
Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
company's sponsored radio program Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie
Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray and syndicated by Tribune Media Services. The strip took its name from the 1885 poem "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley, and made its debut on August 5, 1924 in the New York Daily News...
. The fan club's member's handbook included a simple substitution cipher with a resulting numeric cipher text. This was followed the next year with a membership badge or pin which included a cipher disk - enciphering the letters A-Z to numbers 1-26. Similar badges and pocket decoders continued with the Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight
Captain Midnight is a U.S. adventure franchise first broadcast as a radio serial from 1938 to 1949. Sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company, the radio program was the creation of radio scripters Wilfred G. Moore and Robert M...
radio and television programs.
None of these early decoders were in the form of finger rings
Ring (jewellery)
A finger ring is a circular band worn as a type of ornamental jewelry around a finger; it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal bands worn as ornaments are also called rings, such as arm rings and neck rings....
, but "secret compartment" rings were common radio program premiums and in the early 1960s secret decoder rings appeared - notably in conjunction with the Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest (TV series)
Jonny Quest – often casually referred to as The Adventures of Jonny Quest – is an American science fiction/adventure animated television series about a boy who accompanies his father on extraordinary adventures...
television program sponsored by PF Shoes
PF Flyers
PF Flyers are a brand of athletic shoes that are currently manufactured by New Balance. They were first produced by BF Goodrich in 1937. They had popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, but lost steam during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The brand was purchased by Converse in 1972, but later sold off...
. A later, less ornate, decoder ring was offered by Kix Cereals. and the men's magazine Oui
Oui (magazine)
Oui is a men's adult pornographic magazine published in the USA and featuring explicit nude photographs of models, with full page pin-ups, centerfolds, interviews and other articles, and cartoons.- Playboy years :...
offered a Captain Jet Decoder Ring- and in 2000 Ovaltine offered a Secret Decoder Ring to be worn on the finger which used their traditional A-Z to 1-26 scheme.
Messages
Ovaltine and other companies that marketed early decoders to children often included "secret messages" on their radioRadio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
shows aimed at children. These could be decoded for a preview of the next episode of the show.
There is an urban legend, immortalized in the movie A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, and Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories. It was directed by Bob Clark...
that the Little Orphan Annie radio show transmitted a secret message that deciphered to: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine
Ovaltine
Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
."