Hollow Nickel Historical SocietyRudolf Abel on a USSR commemorative stamp

In the early summer of 1953 a 14-year-old Brooklyn Eagle delivery boy discovered he’d been given a hollow nickel by a customer. Inside the shell of a coin was a ciphered microfilm message which he passed on to the NYPD, who in turn handed it over to the FBI.

It took the government almost four years to decode the secret message within the nickel and link it back to Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. The story has now been reimagined in Steven Spielberg’s new film Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks.

A panel of experts will recount the Cold War tale at the Brooklyn Historical Society from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on November 4.

Tickets are $5 or free for members, and available online.

[Source: FBI | Photo: Wikipedia]

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