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The Romans used IIII to represent the number 4 but later the symbol IV was used so that it would comply with the general rules, which stated that no symbols should be repeated more than three times. However when clock and watches were first developed Roman numerals were still in regular use and many people prefered the older method of writing 4, so IIII was still used, particularly on older clocks, watches and sundials.

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6mo ago

The use of "IIII" instead of "IV" on clock faces is mainly due to historical design conventions. It is thought that using "IIII" instead of "IV" creates better visual balance on the clock face, as the four and eight symbols (IV and VIII) are visually symmetric. Additionally, using "IIII" instead of "IV" may have been a way to avoid confusion with the Roman numeral for six (VI), as the two numerals might have looked similar in certain fonts or styles.

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Q: Why do some clock faces use IIII instead of IV for four in roman numerals?
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