DescriptionBritannica Columbus Cipher.jpg	English: Signature of Christopher Columbus. Italiano: La firma di Cristoforo Colombo.
Date	15th century date QS:P,+1450-00-00T00:00:00Z/7
Source	1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol. 6, p. 745 (see en:s:1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Columbus, Christopher)
Author	Christopher Columbus  (1451–1506)       Alternative names Birth name: Christophorus Columbus; Cristoforo Colombo; Columbus; Cristóbal Colón; Cristobal Colon; Christofer Columbus; Don Cristobál Colón, 'Christopher Columbus' Description Italian explorer, sailor, seafarer, traveler and inventor Date of birth/death between 25 August 1451 and 31 October 1451 date QS:P,+1451-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1319,+1451-08-25T00:00:00Z/11,P1326,+1451-10-31T00:00:00Z/11   20 May 1506  Location of birth/death Genoa Valladolid Authority file : Q7322 VIAF: 17231583 ISNI: 0000000121222444 ULAN: 500237956 LCCN: n78085478 NAID: 10583172 WorldCat creator QS:P170,Q7322
Permission (Reusing this file)	Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This image comes from the 13th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica or earlier. The copyrights for that book have expired in the United States because the book was first published in the US with the publication occurring before January 1, 1929. As such, this image is in the public domain in the United States.
Other versions

Caption: Columbus Cipher.

The interpretation of the seven-lettered cipher, accepting the smaller letters of the second line as the final ones of the words, seems to be Salve Christus, Maria, Yosephus. The name Christopher (Christoferens) appears in the last line.