There does not seemed to be a definitive reason why the number four is represented by IIII rather than IV, but it is how the dials on tower clocks have been done for centuries.
Possible reasons include:
- IV was commonly used to notate the Roman god Jupiter (in Latin, Ivpiter), and the numeral IIII was used to differentiate
- Visually, IIII forms better symmetry with the VIII on the other side of the clock; as well as creating radial symmetry in that only I appears in the first four hours, V only appears in the second four hours, and X only appears in the last four hours
- IV is oddly positioned and difficult to read from the normal angle where four appears
- Romans simply preferred IIII as they largely avoided subtraction
For additional background and historical commentary, refer to the The Wall Street Journal article, Don Lathrop’s historical document, and the related Wikipedia entry.
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