The chiselers (or the ones commissioning the chisel work) apparently 
used the original Latin or Roman alphabet, in which the V stands for 
both the U and the V.  The use of latin was often used to make 
whatever was written a bit more "official" looking.  Often used in 
combination with the year the building was erected, also in latin: 
Anno Domini MCMXXIV, etc.

We have a beauty up here in our reading room: VITRVVIVS (=Vitruvius);-)

Bart






>Check out
>http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq/coins/portraits.shtml#q8
>to see what the Treasury Department says about this in terms of 
>coins.  The FAQ also mentions buildings.
>
>>>>  "Bergeron, Paul" <[log in to unmask]> 3/1/2006 3:47 PM >>>
>We get all kinds of interesting questions here at City Hall.  (A piece
>of advice: think hard before including a municipal telephone listing
>that says "City Information.")
>
>Some of our old buildings -- I'm thinking of a bank right now -- have
>"Nashua" chiseled into their facades as in: NASHVA, instead of NASHUA.
>
>I've seen this practice quite a number of times.
>
>Anybody know why a "V" would have been used when the correct spelling
>called for a "U"?  (A high school student is waiting for us to call back
>with an answer...if we can get one.)
>
>[And no bad-spelling, "Kansas City Chefs" kind of jokes, please.  It's
>not Fryday, yet.)
>Paul R. Bergeron
>City Clerk
>229 Main Street
>Nashua, NH 03060
>Telephone: 603/589-3010
>Fax: 603/589-3029
>http://www.gonashua.com/
>
>
>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by 
>the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org.
>For the terms of participation, please refer to 
>http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp.
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]
>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]
>
>Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
>Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>
>
>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by 
>the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org.
>For the terms of participation, please refer to 
>http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp.
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]
>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]
>
>Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html
>
>Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>

-- 
Bart H. Ryckbosch
Archivist
The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60603
Tel:(312)443-4777
Fax:(312)443-0849
[log in to unmask]

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org.
For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask]

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>