"THE PERPLEXICON POLITICAL PUZZLE"



The Perplexicon Political Puzzle is special for several reasons:

 

It is a very early variant of the 15's Puzzle dating from 1880.

It is also the first known puzzle to expressly mention swapping two similar pieces in order to solve it from what initially appears to be an impossible starting position.

The subject matter of the puzzle is the United Kingdom's Liberal Ministry of 1880 see Wikipedia "Second Gladstone ministry" . The puzzle can be dated 1880 or 1881 as the Duke of Argyll left the government in 1881.

 

 

Up to 2006 when Jerry Slocum published the book "The 15 Puzzle", it was believed that the earliest use of the "swap trick" was 1914. The Perplexicon predates this by over 30 years.

"The 15 Puzzle" by Jerry Slocum is extensively researched book giving a fascinating insight into the great puzzle craze of the 1880s, and into how Sam Loyd fooled the world for 115 years. Informative and beautifully illustrated, it may be obtained from the author at http://www.slocumpuzzles.com

 

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