UK Coin/Puzzle Hunts

[Pyromancer]

I see Sonic have issued a clue for a new coin they've hidden somewhere in the UK, which is worth a Tessarisis Puzzle:

http://www.sonicgames-uk.com/news/febru ... arch-uk/19

Is anyone else looking at this and trying to solve the 'card riddle'?

[kev_in_cornwall]

Just started, but little progress so far (but it's something to keep me busy until my pre-ordered Tessarisis arrives - due march now )

[Pyromancer]

Hi Kev,

I'm waiting for it to be published on the IAS website, as the 'news' picture is a bit small and unclear, hope IAS will have a higher quality version so I can see the cards clearly.

[Toxophilite]

Its plenty big enough

[Pyromancer]

Does that mean you've solved it already Toxophilite

If so, let me know so I'm not wasting my time trying for a coin that isn't there anymore.

[Toxophilite]

Too far away for me

[Pyromancer]

So that means you must have solved it if you know it's too far away.

Glad to know I'm not in competition with you.

I'll have a more concerted effort - think I've got some of it, but want a good clear picture to be sure I'm not kidding myself.

[schnook]

Anyone pick this up yet? I'm... tempted to contact an old high school friend whom I have not spoken to in years to see if she'd like to go on a little drive for me, since I'm several thousand miles away myself. Is such behavior frowned upon?

[kev_in_cornwall]

Just to let you all know that the February 2013 Tessarisis pack O' Cards puzzle has now been found and recovered (Combe Martin is not too far for me as I live in Cornwall).

It was well stuck with super strong chewing gum (yuk) to the inside edge "under the fixed table". I needed the help of the Landlord (Chris - really nice bloke who didn't know anything about it) armed with his sharp screwdriver to remove it (The tweezers I had expected to need were inadequate) and a lot of boiling water to clean it off when I got home (got some PUZZ DNA from the chewing gum so might clone him to help solving some of the more difficult clues ).

The location was inside the very interesting and relevant Pack O' cards pub in Combe Martin (north Devon) which is a very nice pub with very nice staff but (luckily for me) it was very quite this time of year but is very popular in the summer (Food was very good also) . http://www.packocards.co.uk/

[Toxophilite]

Well done Kev.

Looks like there will be another Tessarisis coin hunt in the UK this week. From what Andrew has posted on Facebook looks as though it will be accessible only on the search pages of the members area on this site.

[Pyromancer]

Well done Kev, how about some photos and a little write up of the solution so everyone can bask in your glory.

Think I cracked it at about the same time you did, but like Toxophilite it was a wee bit to far for me to travel.

Fingers crossed that the next ones are a bit closer to home - guess the clues will be on the members side of the IAS website rather than on this publically accessible forum.

[kev_in_cornwall]

Thanks Toxophilite and Pyromancer , here's my solution and some pics. (glad you live a long way away )



After trying to figure out a range of complicated card game based hypothesis (like the royal flush on the 2nd row beats all the others but which is 2nd best etc) and why 2 cards are sometimes stacked up (but you can't quite see what they are), I suddenly ocurred to me that 13 cards in a suit with 2 cards stacked gives 26 possibilities (letters in the alphabet). A quick check on the 4th row (3 cards) shows that J,8,5 = ?,H,E and probably spells THE.

Substituting Ace throught King (1 to 13) to A,B C...M etc (ignoring the double cards) gives the following:-

C?MBE
MA??I?
??DER
THE
FI?ED
?AB??

You can see some of the double cards so by adding the cards together you can get the letters N,O,P...Z (14-26) which then gives:-

COMBE MARTIN UNDER THE FIXED TABLE

you can't quite see the cards to accurately identify all the letters of "Combe Martin" but it's quite easy to work out from the cards that are left in the pack (especially if you live nearby and have heard of Combe Martin)

Googling "Combe Martin" reveals the pub called Pack O' cards (which confirms it must be correct place )
http://www.packocards.co.uk/

Googling further reveals a picture of a the bar showing a table with a beam fixing it to the floor (can't get better confirmation than that )



I had planned to drive over one evening but didn't manage it, and the boss said she wanted to go to as Combe Martin is by Ilfracombe and she wanted to see the Damien Hurst Statue "Verity"

Anyhow we got there eventually and found the coin under the fixed table


Landlord Chris was very helpful and didn't seem to know anything about the ISIS Adventure so I explained it to him and he was very interested. He lent me a torch while I grovelled around under the table, and also supplied a Screwdriver to prise off the coin It was well stuck down with chewing gum


Thats me on the left with the Cornwall shirt and Chris the Landlord with my hand written solution (and my beer)

That's about it, looking forward to the Tessarisis arriving in March (Thanks PUZZ)

by the way, this is "Verity" in Ilfracombe harbour (Artistic!!)

[Pyromancer]

Kev,

Thanks for the excellent write up - think I cracked it more directly than you as I don't know enough about card games to venture down that route.

I'm looking forward to PUZZ publishing these other threatened UK Coin/Puzzle Hunts on the IAS website, I keep looking but it's not easy to see if anthing new has been added.

Can't say I'd like to have a piece of Damien Hurst art in my living room, if it was something by Kit Williams that would be a different matter.