Nixon's plumbers got that iron box, the DNC break in was just a cover story.
Ward brings to life a cypher sarcophagus,previously reputed to have laid to rest 23 years before becoming revealed. It capable of revealing splendor if deciphered.
Feel free to puzzle over " 23".
While at it ,compare the " vault" with its "treasure" to the iron box and unsolvable by mortals cyphers; to there being two stories of creation in " the Christian book" having similar numbers of what seem to be the same rivers ,but different names ,and maybe locations.
Making the story relate able to the readers ,in an almost tangible manner by using know geography goes far in acceptance of what is being offered.
Ciphers aside ,hey, we know where Beaufords is. Here's my coins ,gimmie one of them " books"!
Competition as strong a motivator as the hope of an undeserved windfall.
Doing right by any potential party members families most likely may have been the farthest thing from pamphlet buyers minds. Leaving Ward a profiteer due to his presentation and approach to "tossing up his hands" ,so to speak.
Had he sought the greatest minds of the time regarding decoding first ,he might have been " exhausted" in trying to solve the balance of papers/cyphers.