Does Big Ben really use IIII instead of IV?
Sep 28th, 2003, 09:04 AM
#3
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That was bugging the hell out of me!!
The answer's "no"
http://adamspiers.org/photos/hobbies...oseup.jpg.html
The answer's "no"
http://adamspiers.org/photos/hobbies...oseup.jpg.html
Sep 28th, 2003, 09:54 AM
#5
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Yes, but remember that Big Ben (yes, alright, the clock on Victoria Tower) is the oddity, not your friend's clock.
ost surviving English medieval clocks - and many Continental ones - use IIII. Indeed Pugin, the architect of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster, was seen as some kind of innovator for this strange choice.
And remember that "IV" is by no means normal in Roman inscriptions, where "IIII" (and "CCCC" and "XXXX"
are by no means rare.
Try www.ubr.com/clocks/faq/iiii.html for further study
ost surviving English medieval clocks - and many Continental ones - use IIII. Indeed Pugin, the architect of the rebuilt Palace of Westminster, was seen as some kind of innovator for this strange choice.
And remember that "IV" is by no means normal in Roman inscriptions, where "IIII" (and "CCCC" and "XXXX"
are by no means rare.Try www.ubr.com/clocks/faq/iiii.html for further study
Sep 28th, 2003, 10:33 AM
#6
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I could be wrong, but I remember being told that officially, "Big Ben" is the name of the largest bell (at 13 tons) inside the tower (there are five bells in the tower) and the tower itself is just called "The Clock Tower". The same foundry that made Big Ben is the same foundry that made the Liberty Bell. Of course, unofficially and affectionately, the entire tower is called "Big Ben".
