Real Cryptographic Challenge

“Can you crack codes like a Cold War espionage agent? The Mint wants to find out”

By Dannielle Maguire

Updated 12 Sep 2019, 4:39am

The Australian Royal Mint has released a new batch of 50 cent coins with something of a secret mission.

These coins are being used to communicate an encrypted message, written in a code inspired by the Cold War events that led to the establishment of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) 70 years ago.

The US Army Signals Intelligence Service was tasked with decoding encrypted Soviet diplomatic communications during the Second World War, as part of Operation Venona, which continued into the Cold War.

The Soviet intelligence service, the KGB, used a one-time pad system to code their messages, which should have been indecipherable.

But poor encryption practices meant some of the messages were able to be decoded.

Code breakers have until December 2 to decipher the message using the one-time pad and conversion table included with the coin.

If they manage to decode the message, they submit their answer to the competition website to go in the draw to win.

The prize is the only proof commemorative coin in existence that features the 70th Anniversary of ASIO coin design.

The coin can be purchased from the Mint’s website or by calling 1300 652 020.