SOMERTON MAN: WE HAVE A NAME PART 8. HAY INTERNEE BANKNOTES CODE, UPDATE 8/09/16 2345

UPDATE 8/09/16, 2330

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

This is the first of three posts that will deal with the use of micro codes within the context of the Somerton Man case.

It is very clear that the micro written content on these notes is an exercise in disguise and concealment. 

There is a significant difference between what has been found on the banknotes and Hebrew artwork. 

In the Hebrew Micrography examples, it is obvious that words are being used to portray animals, humans, and decorative borders etc.

In the banknote examples, as in the image from the One Shilling note below, it is very obvious that the letters and numbers are being disguised and concealed. 

There are more images to come. We have been in touch with 2 code and cipher experts and they will be examining what has been found with the aim of ascertaining whether these are practice letters and numbers or whether they are in fact a structured code.

My opinion is that the notes are being used as a platform to train others in the use of concealed writing and clandestine communications. In every instance thus far recovered, full use has been made of shaded areas as per the CIA manual reference that you can find on our resource pages. All have been hidden in plain sight. What this then does is to provide a direct link to the Somerton Man case where we uncovered the same kind of hidden code within the larger letters of the 'code page', in the so-called 'crossed out' line, the two centre lines and the lower 'flourish' at the base of the page. 

In this Banknote and others, they wasted no space at all, within the confines of the code page and it's markings, they wasted no space there either.

In much the same way that it appears in the signature in the image below. Similarly the same can be said of the Verse 70 note from Jestyn to Alf Boxall, for it to contains this form of concealed writing. Here's an example of just that from the green Two Shilling note:

There is a small collection of further examples of microcode on the banknotes at the base of this post.

HAY BANKNOTES CODE

Below we have a series of images from the Hay Banknotes range. Whilst putting watermarks has been around for moire than a century and a half, what we see here is something extremely different. For such a small denomination, it appears that a great deal of trouble has been gone to add special/clandestine markings, letters, and numbers at numerous locations on each denomination of these notes.

Whilst recognition has been made of micro writing on the notes in various auction catalogues and texts, what we are looking at here is something that, to my knowledge had not been picked up on for more than 70 years and goes far beyond the basics that have been discussed.

In discussions with Clive, it almost beggars belief that all this work would have been done for such a small run of low-value notes. Under close examination, you can see very fine almost wispy letters and numbers, to my eyes in many cases they may have been added in pencil after the printing process and may not have been part of the plates. We are fortunate in that we have some images of the original artwork for the plates which we will add to the site shortly.

All of the images of these notes are from 1200 dpi master images. 

At the base of this post, you can view examples of Hebrew Art from which most micro writing was derived.

At this point, if anyone has an interest in the Dunera Boys and their history, if you go to:

 www.duneraassociation.com,

You'll find a lot of good solid and reliable articles in PDF format. They are also looking for members and you can join quite inexpensively. It is a good organisation, it actively supports surviving Dunera Boys and is a terrific resource for all who have an interest in Australia's WW2 past. You would be surprised at the names of people who were once Dunera Boys and who went on to be famous in their chosen careers including Nuclear SCcientists, Aircraft Engineers, Artis, Poets and Authors.

The Banknotes

The image on the left is of a Hay Internment Camp 7 Sixpence Banknote. At this stage, it looks normal. But let's look a little closer.












Now let's look at what appears to be reverse

writingIt shows up as white just to the left and beneath the word legal














Same note with highlighted areas, if you look closely, you will see some very fine micro writing within the highlighted boxes.

VERSE 70?

Now let's look at another aspect of another note, this time, it's the Two Shilling note:

In particular, we are looking at the signature, if you look closely, you will see that within the highlighted boxes and within the actual handwritten letters, there are numbers. Allow your eyes time to focus on each letter, the numbers are extremely fine and I believe they may have been done in pencil after the print process. If you look at the arrow, you will see that amongst all of the micro letters, there is what appears to be a single letter V which stands out.

This is exactly what was done in Jestyn's Verse 70, the difference being that this to me is much finer work. It also clearly demonstrates how the Somerton Man code page was put together.

Below we are looking at some of the letters in the word SHILLING. In the left-hand box, you can fairly clear see a string of numbers, the centre box is somewhat less clear but if you focus you will see a bank of 8 sets of numbers, finally in the 3rd box there are 5 strings of numbers. All are very finely done.

Below is the last image for this post, it is GS at the end of the word SHILLINGS. You can clearly make out the letters CVZ 0r C4Z in the letter S as highlighted. The G has some micro writing but a little difficult to make out clearly.  If you have great eyesight, to the right of the S and very faint is a series of letters and numbers within the 'cloud'. I will be doing some work to bring that up so that it is clearer.

It seems to me that what he have here is not just marking of notes but perhaps a 'practice' sheet for code writing. There is a lot more to come in this series, the next post will be about the designer of these notes, Georg Tiltscher and a possible link we have made to a UK Military Intelligence group following George's move to the UK in August 1941.

UPDATE 8/09/16  2345

Coding in the shield, emu, merino, roo. A little hazy but you should be able to make out the numbers in the highlighted areas of the shield and animals.

HEBREW MICROGRAPHY: Words As Art Examples

For those with an interest in where this form of concealed writing came from, here are two examples of Hebrew Micrography, every single object in the image is handwritten in Hebrew. It should not be hard to see that a skilled person would have little difficulty in transcribing micro-words into the shapes, forms and even signatures found on the Hay Camp 7 Banknotes. The image is just 180 DPI, and as you can see there is a huge amount of detail that is quite visible. It will, in fact, expand to 4400 X 3800 pixels and still remains relatively clear. You can download it here:

http://www.sothebys.com/content/dam/stb/lots/N08/N08961/370N08961_6MLNT.jpg

The above is from the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection, it is an Omer Calendar by Dov Margolioth and dated 1830. This item was sold for $185000 USD.

pen and ink on paper.
height 23 in.; width 26 1/2 in.
58 cm; 67.5 cm

Micrography, the scribal practice of employing minuscule script to create abstract shapes or figurative designs, is an art form that has been used by Jews for over a millennium. This intricate decorative technique was first practiced in Egypt and the Land of Israel in the tenth century. In the centuries following the advent of printing, micrography continued to be used to decorate ketubbot (marriage contracts) and wall hangings.  This outstanding example of the micrographers’ art comprises the entire text of four books of the Hebrew Bible (Esther, Ruth, Song of Songs and Lamentations) as well as an Omer Calendar for enumerating the days between Passover and Shavuot.  In addition to a profusion of flora and fauna, four biblical characters are portrayed. At left are Queen Esther and her servant Hatakh, while at right are King Solomon and Bithia (Batya), the daughter of Pharaoh. A remarkably similar micrographic Omer Calendar, apparently by the same artist, features the same decorative motifs and illustrative style as the present lot and is in the collection of the Skirball Cultural Center Museum in Los Angeles (catalog # 39.37.) It is signed Dov Margolioth, son of Rabbi Asher Selig of Szczebrzeszyn, who completed the work in 1830 in Bonn, Germany.
paper


Every single aspect of the piece below is a written word. It's entitled 'Shir Ha Shirim'

 This is a close up of the reverse of the two shilling note. If you can focus on the dark background that lies between the merinos. you will see micronumbers have been written in.

Another image of the reverse of the two shilling note. Again more micronumbers have been written in. The same applies to all of the background areas on the reverse side of this note.

One Shilling note, micro written as highlighted in the O and the N. There are actually more examples within this picture but they are faint.

A differnet angle for the N and we picked up 227 in the E

In this image to the right you can see where numbers have been added to the shading surrounding the I, N and G.

A somewhat clearer image of numbers added to shading as highlighted.

Once more, numbers added to shading in the H, I and L.

The H and the I picked up numbers again within the shading.

In the barbed wire support poles to the left of this image, you can see faint outlines of numbers.

The S shows markings and numbers can be seen in the neck of the Roo and again the barbed wire support poles.

Final image for this collection shows the O, N and E with micro numbers.