I am reading a pamphlet written in 1649 by "The Poor Oppressed People of England."
The pamphlet claims that the "numbering letters round about the English money make 666." I have been trying to hunt this coin down.
The closest I have gotten is the Charles I Gold Triple Unite which adds up to 667. That's counting the V's as V's rather than U's. There are a number of variations on the coin that add up to different totals, but the only plausible solution I have found is that one of the V's is counted as a U, rather than a V.
This will keep bothering me until I figure it out.
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Someone in 1649 would count a V on a coin as a U if it were used as a vowel in Latin writing.
In ancient Roman times both Us and Vs were written as a "V", and this style continued in written Latin well through the Age of Rationalism.
Unfortunately for you, this means that ALL the "V"s on the coin, in carolvs, devs, exvrgat, and dissipentvr, are all Us and should be counted as such.
When reading in stylistic Latin, it's safe to assume that any "V" between 2 consonants should be counted as a U. Good luck in finding your coin!
