Mike Cowham wrote: > > My father, an old clock man, used to tell me that the IIII was used in > place of IV because if not, it did not balance with VIII on the opposite > side of the dial. Try it, and I think that you will agree that it looks > strange and unbalanced. Just look how symmetrical a clock face is.
I had heard of this explanation too, but if it works for VIII, IIII, it doesn't for some other vertically symetric pairs: I and XI ?? II and X ok III and IX ok IIII and VIII ok V and VII ?? > > There may be other reasons too, but this one is OK for me. > > Regards, > Mike Cowham. > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cambridge, UK. Thierry Bruxelles / Belgium
