Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/95 - Beeswax

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $95$

Beeswax

The word BEESWAX represents a number in a criminal's secret code,

but the police had no clue until they discovered among his papers the following sum:

 E A S E B S B S X
 B P W W K S E T Q
------------------
 K P E P W E K K Q

The detectives assumed that it was an addition sum, and utterly failed to solve it.

Then one man hit on the brilliant idea that perhaps it was a case of subtraction.

This proved to be correct, and by substituting a different figure for each letter, so that it worked out correctly,

they obtained the secret code.

What number does BEESWAX represent?

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Digital Puzzles: $95$. -- Beeswax
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Cryptarithm Puzzles: $155$. Beeswax