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]>