Somewhere I have read that IIII was used instead of IV in communities where the people could more easily count to 4 than to subtract 1 from 5. It may seem absurd to our modern minds to even imagine such a situation, but understanding of simple things like subtraction has not always been as common as it is today.
Of course, that leaves open the question of why IX is still used instead of VIIII. I think the aesthetic balance theory is more feasible, but I'm just reporting what I've read. Rod Heil [EMAIL PROTECTED]
