Anker to Christian Frederik, 28 June 1814

At a glanceKey from external plaintext · complete

The leaf: A leaf headed “fr. 28 Junii 1814” from Carsten Anker in London to Prince Christian Frederik: about ten lines of symbol cipher among clear Danish and French.
Where: Arkivverket / Riksarkivet (Oslo), RA-EA-5938 Christian Frederik, F/Fc/L0217/0002, PDF p. 59; not in C. J. Anker’s printed edition.
The cipher: A homophonic substitution in symbols with a few logograms; the 1811 symbol alphabet.
How it was deciphered: Brice Dudout rebuilt the key (36 labels) from the glosses and the decipherment of the time of Anker’s letter of 31 December 1811 and measured it once on a held-out part: 0.950 against at best 0.019 for 200 shuffled keys. The project did not repeat the test and did not see the images.
What it says: The match of Princess Charlotte of Wales with the Prince of Orange is broken off; Anker revives his old idea of a match with Christian Frederik, if the prince does not bind himself.
Still open: One word (‹felv›) and a logogram restored as [D.K.H.]; one reader; the held-out part was not transcribed blind.
Credit: The key, the transcription and the reading are Brice Dudout’s (L’Europe chiffrée, with Claude Opus 5.5 agents). The images were not seen here and are not reproduced.

01 The leaf

A leaf headed “fr. 28 Junii 1814” (“ad Anker C. 101a”) in the Riksarkivet in Oslo, RA-EA-5938 Christian Frederik, F/Fc/L0217/0002, PDF page 59: about ten lines of a symbol cipher mixed with clear Danish and French, from Carsten Anker in London to Prince Christian Frederik. It has no decipherment in the file and is not in C. J. Anker’s printed edition of the correspondence (Christian Frederik og Carsten Anker’s Brevveksling 1814, 254 letters searched in full text by the contributor). The same archive extract (RA-EA-5938) holds Anker’s letter of 31 December 1811 in the same kind of symbol cipher, with interlinear glosses and a decipherment of the time (printed as no. 32), and the London dispatch of 28 June 1814 in a four-digit code (printed as no. 88); both are existing readings. The contributor, Brice Dudout (L’Europe chiffrée, with Claude Opus 5.5 agents), read the leaf; the images are not reproduced here.

02 The key and its test

The cipher is a homophonic substitution in symbols with a few logograms (# for jeg, a double dash for Sverige); word gaps are mostly kept. The key (36 labels, key_1811.tsv) was learnt on page 9 of the 1811 letter only, from its glossed lines and from the lines aligned with the decipherment of the time and print no. 32, and frozen before measurement.

The contributor ran two pre-registered tests; the second protocol was hashed before the key was built. The first used the archive’s pencil key card “KN-06” on eight held-out lines of the 1811 letter and failed (0.025 against 0.018 for the best shuffled key; a third of the signs have no value on the card). The second measured the rebuilt key once on the held-out left column of page 10 of the 1811 letter (ten lines) against the decipherment of the time: 0.950 of characters against at best 0.019 for 200 shuffled keys, which passes the thresholds fixed in advance (0.85 and a margin of 0.30). Declared limit: print no. 32 had already been studied in full before, so the held-out part was transcribed by shapes and not blind. Applicability to the leaf was fixed before decoding: 0.937 of its signs have a value in the 1811 key, against 0.369 matching the Bergen 1814 alphabet. The project did not repeat these measurements and did not see the images.

03 The reading

Of the leaf’s 252 cipher signs, 249 carry a value as certain or probable (98.8%); the other three are the restored logogram, and one stained sign and the word ‹felv› are among the 249 as uncertain. One logogram, three occurrences, is restored as [D.K.H.] (“Deres Kongelige Høihed”, Your Royal Highness) from the clear “D. K. H.s” and “[D.K.H.]s Portrait”; one word, ‹felv›, decodes letter by letter but its sense is uncertain.

In the contributor’s reading (reading_p59.md, with an English translation) the match of Princess Charlotte of Wales with the Prince of Orange is “broken off for ever”; Anker revives his “old idea” of a match with Christian Frederik, provided the prince is not bound and Norway’s horizon clears; the prince’s portrait will be engraved and published within eight to fourteen days; “only let Your Royal Highness not bind yourself!”; Hardenberg and Anker agree. The project itself is known: Christian Frederik writes of the intended connection with Princess Charlotte in his printed letters to Anker of 24 June, 11 October and 12 December 1814 (nos. 31, 39, 43), and Anker reports on the Charlotte–Orange match on 26 September (no. 94). What the contributor found new is Anker’s own proposal of 28 June, in cipher. The princess’s name and the proposal to the prince are the contributor’s reading from the context of the leaf and the printed letters of the time; the leaf writes only “Prindcesen”, “Pr: af Oranien” and “min gamle Idée”. No secondary study of the project was found in a quick search.

04 What remains uncertain

‹felv› (line 9 of the leaf): decoded letter by letter, sense not established; a second reader on the shapes is the next step.
The logogram restored as [D.K.H.] is not in the 1811 key; the Bergen 1814 sheet’s logogram list could confirm it.
One reader, no second reader, and no human palaeographer has checked the sign shapes; the images were not seen by the project.
The held-out part of the test was not transcribed blind, as declared above.

Full texts

The transcription and the decryption of every document on this page, so that the reading can be used and checked. Short files are shown here; all are in the repository.

Leaf "fr. 28 Junii 1814", Carsten Anker (London) to Christian Frederik

The match between Princess Charlotte of Wales and the Prince of Orange is broken off for ever; Anker revives his old idea of marrying Christian Frederik to her, though she may not leave England, if the prince is not bound and Norway's horizon clears; the prince's engraved portrait will be published within a fortnight; the prince must not commit himself; Hardenberg agrees.

Transcription

transcription_p59.txt

# Arkivverket / Riksarkivet (Oslo) RA-EA-5938 Christian Frederik, F/Fc/L0217/0002 (1814), PDF p. 59, leaf "fr. 28 Junii 1814" (old shelfmark "ad Anker C. 101a"). Carsten Anker (London) to Prince Christian Frederik.
# Transcribed 9 Nov 2026 by an AI agent, sign labels of frozen/SIGNES-2.md, AFTER the held-out measurement (validated) and BEFORE any decoding by script. Clear passages copied in {clair: ...}. | = word gap. Hashed: frozen/P59-CHIFFRE.sha256 (98b4a3e0...eb21).
# New shapes (not in the 1811 key): N4 '4' followed by a dot; N11 pale initial sign; N12 'q with hook' (isolated group, logogram); N13 small comma-hook; TH = horizontally barred theta; ^ = overbar.
BERGEN_MATCH PLUS T LAM SQ Z TAA N4 C7 XB XS U B8 QF
L1 DEL PLUS XX HB T TH PI | LT EQ DIA | DEL XX : | PLUS QF | N11 U XX PLUS FISH T EQ FISH | EQ XX | PLUS QF SQ XX N4 DIA HB {clair: pour jamais.}
L2 FISH N4 | U DEL PI HB TAA EQ XX | LT T FISH | OG PLUS LT LAM EQ {clair: Idée} DEL XX T FISH DIA C7 EQ PI Z FISH | EQ XX | PI LT N4 M | B8 PLUS XX
L3 EQ FISH | LT EQ OG Z FISH | QF PLUS PI HB | C7 PLUS XX EQ N13 HB EQ XX | PI M PLUS LAM | PLUS SQ PI U LAM N4 HB | OG T QF HB EQ PI . —
L4 N4 DIA | PLUS QF | LAM PLUS FISH DIA EQ HB | QF TAA | EQ XX | B8 N4 FISH | T M^ EQ | LAM U XS PLUS HB | OG TAA EQ | U OG | DIA EQ HB | LT TAA | HB^ EQ | LT PLUS FISH
L5 {clair: finde sig i. — Var nu} N12 | EQ T | SQ N4 FISH DIA EQ FISH [?] | U OG {clair: oplystedes Norriges Horizont saa var Idéen vel værd at overtænke. — Grunden og selve Bygningen til N. stadige Lykke, Roe og Velstand var da med et lagt og mesten færdig. Om 8 à 14 Dage bliver}
L6 N12 PI | DEL U XX HB XX PLUS T HB | QF V XX DIA T OG HB | OG U DIA HB | PI HB N4 M^ EQ HB | U OG | DEL N4 SQ LAM T C7 EQ XX Z HB
L7 LT EQ FISH | DIA EQ HB^ Z {clair: er en vidtløftig Materie, som kræver Tid.}
L8 M N4 FISH | PLUS HB | N12 | EQ T | SQ T FISH DIA EQ XX | PI T OG ! {clair: Gud veed, at ingen kan ivrigere end jeg ønske D. K. H.s sande Lyksalighed. Min hulde ædle og elskede Herre!}
L9 PLUS HB | DIA EQ | B8 EQL XX EQ | DIA EQ Z LT | T M^ EQ | QF EQ LAM XS | HB T LAM .
L10 B8 PLUS XX DIA EQ FISH SQ EQ XX OG | U OG | HASH {clair: have meget talt herom og vi ere eenige.}

Decryption

reading_p59.md

# Reading: leaf "fr. 28 Junii 1814", Carsten Anker (London) to Prince Christian Frederik (RA-EA-5938 F/Fc/L0217/0002, PDF p. 59)

Decoded with the frozen 1811 key (`key_1811.tsv`), validated on a held-out part (`validation.txt`). Danish of 1814, spelling of the manuscript. **Bold** = cipher, decoded; *italic* = clear in the manuscript. Conventions (Daniel's): plain = certain (value in the key); {x} = probable (new shape, value fixed by several agreeing words); [x] = restored; ‹…› = unresolved.

New shapes: N4 ("4" with a dot) = {u}, 11 occurrences, fixed by afbrudt, nu, smuk, absolut, ud, hun, bunden, stukket, publiceret, kun; N11 = {o} (Oranien); N13 = {k} (Carekter); barred θ = {e} (Partiets; θ has no value in the 1811 key); N12 = a logogram (3 occurrences), restored [D.K.H.] = "Deres Kongelige Høihed" (Your Royal Highness), from "D. K. H.s sande Lyksalighed" in the clear and "[D.K.H.]s Portrait".

**Count (cipher signs): 252; 249 certain or probable = 98.8% read** (restored excluded: the 3 N12 logograms, 1.2%); 1 stained sign ‹?›; one word, ‹felv›, decoded letter by letter but of uncertain sense. Above the 95% rule: **read**.

## Text

**Parti{e}s med Pr: af {O}ranien er afbr{u}dt** *pour jamais.* **N{u} opstaaer min gamle** *Idée*: **Prindcesen er sm{u}k, har en megen fast Care{k}ter, skal absol{u}t giftes. — {U}d af Landet faaer h{u}n ikke Lov at gaae, og det maatte man** *finde sig i. — Var nu* **[D.K.H.] ei b{u}nden‹?› og** *oplystedes Norriges Horizont saa var Idéen vel værd at overtænke. — Grunden og selve Bygningen til N. stadige Lykke, Roe og Velstand var da med et lagt og mesten færdig. Om 8 à 14 Dage bliver* **[D.K.H.]s Portrait færdigt, godt st{u}kket og p{u}bliceret. Men dette** *er en vidtløftig Materie, som kræver Tid.* **K{u}n at [D.K.H.] ei binder sig!** *Gud veed, at ingen kan ivrigere end jeg ønske D. K. H.s sande Lyksalighed. Min hulde ædle og elskede Herre!* **At De høre deem ikke ‹felv› til. Hardenberg og jeg** *have meget talt herom og vi ere eenige.*

## Raw decoding (script, frozen key; ‹label› = sign without value)

parti‹TH›s med pr af ‹N11›oranien er afbr‹N4›dt n‹N4› opstaaer min gamle prindcesen er sm‹N4›k har en megen fast care‹N13›ter skal absol‹N4›t giftes ‹N4›d af landet faa er h‹N4›n ikke lovat gaae og det maa tte man ‹N12› ei b‹N4›nden? og ‹N12›s portrait færdigt godt st‹N4›kket og p‹N4›bliceret men dette k‹N4›n at ‹N12› ei binder sig at de høre deem ikke felv til hardenberg og jeg

Lexical check (after decoding, descriptive): 26 of 33 decoded words of 3+ letters without "?" are forms found in the printed edition's lexicon (19,053 forms; 0.788); absent: opstaaer, prindcesen, giftes, lovat (= Lov at), gaae, deem, felv.

Reading

reading_p59.md

# Reading: leaf "fr. 28 Junii 1814", Carsten Anker (London) to Prince Christian Frederik (RA-EA-5938 F/Fc/L0217/0002, PDF p. 59)

Decoded with the frozen 1811 key (`key_1811.tsv`), validated on a held-out part (`validation.txt`). Danish of 1814, spelling of the manuscript. **Bold** = cipher, decoded; *italic* = clear in the manuscript. Conventions (Daniel's): plain = certain (value in the key); {x} = probable (new shape, value fixed by several agreeing words); [x] = restored; ‹…› = unresolved.

New shapes: N4 ("4" with a dot) = {u}, 11 occurrences, fixed by afbrudt, nu, smuk, absolut, ud, hun, bunden, stukket, publiceret, kun; N11 = {o} (Oranien); N13 = {k} (Carekter); barred θ = {e} (Partiets; θ has no value in the 1811 key); N12 = a logogram (3 occurrences), restored [D.K.H.] = "Deres Kongelige Høihed" (Your Royal Highness), from "D. K. H.s sande Lyksalighed" in the clear and "[D.K.H.]s Portrait".

**Count (cipher signs): 252; 249 certain or probable = 98.8% read** (restored excluded: the 3 N12 logograms, 1.2%); 1 stained sign ‹?›; one word, ‹felv›, decoded letter by letter but of uncertain sense. Above the 95% rule: **read**.

## Text

**Parti{e}s med Pr: af {O}ranien er afbr{u}dt** *pour jamais.* **N{u} opstaaer min gamle** *Idée*: **Prindcesen er sm{u}k, har en megen fast Care{k}ter, skal absol{u}t giftes. — {U}d af Landet faaer h{u}n ikke Lov at gaae, og det maatte man** *finde sig i. — Var nu* **[D.K.H.] ei b{u}nden‹?› og** *oplystedes Norriges Horizont saa var Idéen vel værd at overtænke. — Grunden og selve Bygningen til N. stadige Lykke, Roe og Velstand var da med et lagt og mesten færdig. Om 8 à 14 Dage bliver* **[D.K.H.]s Portrait færdigt, godt st{u}kket og p{u}bliceret. Men dette** *er en vidtløftig Materie, som kræver Tid.* **K{u}n at [D.K.H.] ei binder sig!** *Gud veed, at ingen kan ivrigere end jeg ønske D. K. H.s sande Lyksalighed. Min hulde ædle og elskede Herre!* **At De høre deem ikke ‹felv› til. Hardenberg og jeg** *have meget talt herom og vi ere eenige.*

## Raw decoding (script, frozen key; ‹label› = sign without value)

parti‹TH›s med pr af ‹N11›oranien er afbr‹N4›dt n‹N4› opstaaer min gamle prindcesen er sm‹N4›k har en megen fast care‹N13›ter skal absol‹N4›t giftes ‹N4›d af landet faa er h‹N4›n ikke lovat gaae og det maa tte man ‹N12› ei b‹N4›nden? og ‹N12›s portrait færdigt godt st‹N4›kket og p‹N4›bliceret men dette k‹N4›n at ‹N12› ei binder sig at de høre deem ikke felv til hardenberg og jeg

Lexical check (after decoding, descriptive): 26 of 33 decoded words of 3+ letters without "?" are forms found in the printed edition's lexicon (19,053 forms; 0.788); absent: opstaaer, prindcesen, giftes, lovat (= Lov at), gaae, deem, felv.

Translation

translation_p59.md

# Translation (English): leaf "fr. 28 Junii 1814", Carsten Anker (London) to Prince Christian Frederik

Cipher passages in **bold**, clear in *italic*; [x] restored; ‹…› unresolved. The princess is Charlotte of Wales (her engagement to the Hereditary Prince of Orange was broken off in June 1814); the identification is from the context, not written on the leaf.

**The match with the Prince of Orange is broken off** *for ever.* **Now my old** *idea* **comes up again: the Princess is handsome, has a very firm character, and must absolutely be married. — She will not be allowed to leave the country, and one would have to** *put up with that. — If now* **[Your Royal Highness] were not bound, and** *Norway's horizon brightened, the idea would be well worth weighing. — The foundation, and the very building, of Norway's lasting happiness, peace and prosperity would then be laid at a stroke and nearly finished. Within 8 to 14 days* **[Your Royal Highness]'s portrait will be finished, well engraved and published. But this** *is a lengthy matter that needs time.* **Only let [Your Royal Highness] not bind yourself!** *God knows that no one can wish more ardently than I for Your Royal Highness's true happiness. My gracious, noble and beloved Lord!* **That you do not belong to them ‹felv›. Hardenberg and I** *have talked about this a great deal and we are agreed.*

Summary: on 28 June 1814 Anker reports from London that the Charlotte-Orange match is off and revives his "old idea" of marrying Christian Frederik to the princess, provided the prince is not bound elsewhere and Norway's situation clears; he announces the prince's engraved portrait and urges him not to commit himself; Hardenberg agrees.

Key: key_1811.tsv

05 Sources

Arkivverket / Riksarkivet (Oslo), RA-EA-5938 Christian Frederik, on Arkivportalen: F/Fc/L0217/0002 (PDF p. 59, the leaf) and F/Fc/L0216/0009 (the letter of 31 December 1811); the images are not reproduced here.
C. J. Anker (ed.), Christian Frederik og Carsten Anker’s Brevveksling 1814, samt Uddrag af deres Breve fra 1801–13 og fra 1815–17 (Royal Danish Library, Danmarks Breve): prints no. 32 (the 1811 letter) and no. 88 (the code dispatch of 28 June 1814), not the leaf.
Brice Dudout, pull request #347 and the target folder: the key, the tests, the transcription and the reading.

The documentation, the key, the transcription, the reading and the tests are in targets/anker1814.

Cite this page

Brice Dudout and Daniel Bourdeau, “Carsten Anker to Prince Christian Frederik, a leaf of 28 June 1814”, Cyphersolver, posted 9 November 2026, https://cyphersolver.com/anker1814.html.