Pig Pen

By creating a matrix of the alphabet within a tic-tac-toe box a pig pen cipher can be created. This method of enciphering was developed by Baptista dell Porta in the 1600's. Each symbol is created by referencing a letter position with the lines:

Once you figure out the pattern it is easy to find the letter represented by each symbol. I usually find the box pattern first, to locate which three letters must be possibilities. I then find the location of the dot to determine exactly which letter is represented by the symbol.

To make the cipher even harder, mix up the letters inside of the matrix. Put letters like "Z T O" in the upper left, replacing "A B C." Do the same for the entire matrix. Whenever you mix up the letters inside of a pig pen matrix it makes the cipher much harder to decipher. You can even try variations of the cipher as seen below: