Why do some analog clocks with Roman numerals have '4' as 'IV,' while others have 'IIII'? This is one of those questions where no one seems to have a definitive answer, and probably no one ever will.

Thanks for your informative piece on the Roman numerals on the Tomb of the Unknowns. Now can you explain to me why the 4 on my watch is denominated by IIII instead of IV, a fact I had not noticed ...

Roman numerals are, by modern standards, a bit unusual. By virtue of using designations for both 5 and 10, and not scaling well to higher numbers, they’ve fallen out of favor outside of some … ...

Roman numerals are, by modern standards, a bit unusual. By virtue of using designations for both 5 and 10, and not scaling well to higher numbers, they’ve fallen out of favor outside of some ...

They fed the models different images of analog clocks—timekeepers with Roman numerals, different dial colors, and even some missing the seconds hand—as well as 10 years of calendar images.

While Roman numerals (unsurprisingly) date back to ancient Rome, they are used in many facets of society beyond the Super Bowl, including on clocks, watches and to identify kings, queens and popes.

How to read Roman numerals. Roman numerals use the letters of the alphabet, which are then used in combination the higher the number. The symbols for numbers 1-10 are as follows: ...