LIKE J Bonarius ('Clock face puzzler,' Letters, December 14), I have puzzled for years about IV on a clock face always being IIII - and why. In my case it isn't just idle curiosity.

In the 1950s my father left me a bracket clock with a steel face bearing IV for the figure four.

In his lifetime he had made inquiries about this and had received no satisfactory answer.

I tried to obtain information later, but to little avail.

There was some rumour about the numerals being the subject of a decree by Charles V of France, but this was not confirmed.

The bracket clock's mechanism was in very poor condition - I had to replace the catgut string, which drove the clockwork, a couple of times.

Eventually, I sold it to a collector for a reasonable price - I thought.

Several antique clock dealers could give me no help about the number but perhaps your readers can explain it?

Bill Clare,

Cedar Place,

Oulston Road, Easingwold.

Updated: 11:15 Monday, December 20, 2004