The Gold-Bug
Poe submitted "The Gold-Bug" as an entry to a writing contest sponsored by the "Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper". His story won the grand prize and was published in three installments, beginning in June 1843. The prize also included $100, probably the largest single sum that Poe received for any of his works. "The Gold-Bug" was an instant success and was the most popular and most widely read of Poe's works during his lifetime. It also helped popularize cryptograms and secret writing.