GUN SPRING 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/21/2018
EXTREMELY RARE CONFEDERATE CIPHER DISC.The Confederate cipher disc is a mechanical wheel cipher consisting of two concentric discs, each with the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, that was used for the encryption of secret messages of the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861-1865). It was created by Francis LaBarre (1818-1871), a gold and silver worker, and was based on the "Vigenre System" but called the Vicksburg System by the Confederate States of America. The outer disc measures about 2-3/8" (57mm diameter, inner disc 41mm). An identical disc was donated to the Museum of the Confederacy by Major Graham Davis who used it to encipher and decipher messages for his Commanding General, S. W. French. Another example is noted in the Smithsonian Collection. In the 2015 text Confederate Agent: A Discovery in History by James Horan, he mentions these specific devices and shows copies of orig codes used by Confederate commissioners where these devices were required to decipher. He states six of these specialty made devices were known to exist. However, our research only shows two in institutional collections as noted. The Crypto Museum and the Spy Museum both have facsimiles. This is a very famous example housed in an early custom Lakeside Press custom box still retaining the cut-out page from the circa 1978 Sotheby's auction catalog when it was offered from the Phillip D. Sang (1902-1975) Collection. Sang was the premiere collector of Lincoln related objects. Francis LaBarre, Richmond, Virginia, the manufacturer of these discs was living in Washington, DC prior to the beginning of the war, but fled to Richmond where he was contracted by the Confederate Army to produce these ciphers as well as other objects. SIZE: PROVENANCE: Richard D. Sang (1902-1975) Collection; Sotheby's, Lot 53, about 1978. CONDITION: Fine overall. Fully functional with deep mustard patina, still retains red and black composite inset into the engraved and stamped letters. 52863-17 JS (15,000-20,000)