# Agence France-Presse 2025: Auction of famed CIA cipher shaken after archive reveals code

> Agence France-Presse, 2025. 3 records on Mysteries Department cite it. Sanborn's distinction between plaintext and method, in his words.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7HSZ8P69KE/auction-of-famed-cia-cipher-shaken-after-archive-reveals  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Kryptos](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos)Agence France-Presse 2025

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# Auction of famed CIA cipher shaken after archive reveals code

Agence France-Presse, 2025. _AFP, published by The Standard (Hong Kong), 19 November 2025_.

Quotes Sanborn that the scraps gave the plaintext "without the coding method or the key", and Kobek on refusing the NDA; reports cease-and-desist letters from the auction house.

**Kryptos** ArticleChecked against the original0

## What it's used for here

Sanborn's distinction between plaintext and method, in his words.

## Cited by on this site 3 records

[Kobek and Byrne refused NDAs but say they will not publish, after letters from the auction house's lawyers.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/evidence/EVD0D7HTAG26V1D/kobek-and-byrne-refused-ndas-but-say-they-will-not-publish)

Evidence

EVD

[Sanborn says the find gave the plaintext but not the coding method or the key, which he calls a very…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos/evidence/EVD0D7HT9905536/sanborn-says-the-find-gave-the-plaintext-but-not-the-coding)

Evidence

EVD

[Kryptos](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/kryptos)

The mystery article

MYS

## Cite it

```
Agence France-Presse (2025). Auction of famed CIA cipher shaken after archive reveals code. AFP, published by The Standard (Hong Kong), 19 November 2025. https://www.thestandard.com.hk/world/article/317218/Auction-of-famed-CIA-cipher-shaken-after-archive-reveals-code
```

[Read it free at thestandard.com.hk](https://www.thestandard.com.hk/world/article/317218/Auction-of-famed-CIA-cipher-shaken-after-archive-reveals-code)

Key

**SRC** 0D7HSZ8P69KE

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

29 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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