Why do wall clocks with Roman Numerals on it have the symbol IIII for the number four instead of the normal IV? I would suggest that if you hadn't read that sentence, you wouldn't have even noticed it.
Try it, Have a look at a clock with Roman numerals, there will not be a IV as you were taught at school, but IIII.
I am exaggerating though, as some clocks do use the Roman numeral IV, however most of them use the symbol IIII, and this is not just specific to clocks and has gone on since before the 1500s.
Some people will tell you that it is because the Romans didn't use the symbol IV as it was the first two letters of the name of their king of gods IVpiter (Iupiter).
This wasn't the case and many people used the symbol IV, even the Romans, who is anything preferred using it because of this fact.
Other people say that only IV was used, as pharmacists couldn't count the dots on iiii, and iv was used for clarity.
Again this isn't the case, as why use IV, which is also the symbol for intravenous which could lead to a very dangerous wrong drug administration.
That is unless you were meant to give out Intravenous, which would be lucky.
Further people say that all clocks actually do show the roman numeral IV, and it is only crazy people who see it as IIII, but I'm hoping that this is also not true as this article may well be flawed.
So what is the answer? Although strict Roman Numerals state that you should put no more than 3 numerals together in a number, for clock designers the numeral IIII is much move symmetrical to the number eight which is VIII, and it's the symmetrical value that IIII gives, that makes clock designers choose it over IV.
The same could be said for nine, as clock makers use IX to be symmetrical to III, although they could use VIIII which is accepted in Roman Numerals.
So the next time you look at one of your wall clocks take a look, and tell a friend something interesting about Roman Numerals.
Although please don't assume that the clock in mention has used IIII in case they have used IV, and you may look rather silly and people may even question your story, and maybe your sanity.
Try it, Have a look at a clock with Roman numerals, there will not be a IV as you were taught at school, but IIII.
I am exaggerating though, as some clocks do use the Roman numeral IV, however most of them use the symbol IIII, and this is not just specific to clocks and has gone on since before the 1500s.
Some people will tell you that it is because the Romans didn't use the symbol IV as it was the first two letters of the name of their king of gods IVpiter (Iupiter).
This wasn't the case and many people used the symbol IV, even the Romans, who is anything preferred using it because of this fact.
Other people say that only IV was used, as pharmacists couldn't count the dots on iiii, and iv was used for clarity.
Again this isn't the case, as why use IV, which is also the symbol for intravenous which could lead to a very dangerous wrong drug administration.
That is unless you were meant to give out Intravenous, which would be lucky.
Further people say that all clocks actually do show the roman numeral IV, and it is only crazy people who see it as IIII, but I'm hoping that this is also not true as this article may well be flawed.
So what is the answer? Although strict Roman Numerals state that you should put no more than 3 numerals together in a number, for clock designers the numeral IIII is much move symmetrical to the number eight which is VIII, and it's the symmetrical value that IIII gives, that makes clock designers choose it over IV.
The same could be said for nine, as clock makers use IX to be symmetrical to III, although they could use VIIII which is accepted in Roman Numerals.
So the next time you look at one of your wall clocks take a look, and tell a friend something interesting about Roman Numerals.
Although please don't assume that the clock in mention has used IIII in case they have used IV, and you may look rather silly and people may even question your story, and maybe your sanity.