Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology

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dates, translation of

The conversion of dates, usually from the Roman into Arabic. Other than Arabic, the most common imprint date (or date of publication) to be found in books, at least those publication of the Western world, are the Roman numeral dates. They are translated: 
    Roman                      Arabic
    I, i or j                       1
    II or ii                        2
    III or iii                      3
    IV or iv                        4
    V or v                          5
    VI or vi                        6
    VII or vii                      7     VIII or viii                    8
    IX or ix                        9
    X or x                         10
    XI or xi                       11
    XII or xii etc.                12
    XX or xx                       20
    XXX or xxx                     30     XL or xl also XXXX             40
    L or l                         50
    LX or lx                       60
    LXX or lxx                     70     LXXX or lxxx, also XXC         80
    XC or xc also LXXXX            90
    C or c                        100
    CL or cl                      150
    CC or cc                      200
    CCC or ccc                    300     CD or cd, also CCCC           400
    D or d, also I)          500
    DC or dc, also IC             600
    CM or cm                      900
    M or m also CI)        1,000

Hebrew dates found in imprints may be converted to the Christian date by consulting the Jewish encyclopedia under Calendar, Table 1. Islamic dates may be converted by consulting the tables found in John J. Bond's Handy Book of rules and tables for verifying dates with the Christian era, 4th ed. London, 1889, pp. 228-250. The French Revolution calendar is given below: 

     1  Sept. 22 1792
                       -1
     2  Sept. 22 1793
                       -2
     3  Sept. 22 1794
                       -3
     4  Sept. 23 1795
                       -4
     5  Sept. 22 1796
                       -5
     6  Sept. 22 1797
                       -6
     7  Sept. 22 1798
                       -7
     8  Sept. 23 1799
                       -8
     9  Sept. 23 1800
                       -9
    10  Sept. 23 1801
                      -10
    11  Sept. 23 1802
                      -11
    12  Sept. 24 1803
                      -12
    13  Sept. 23 1804
                      -13
    14  Sept. 23 1805
                      -14
        Dec.  31 1805
                      end

Months (12 of 30 days each, with five additional days)

Vendémaiaire (vintage) Brumaire (fog) Frimaire (sleet) Nivôse (snow) Pluvôise (rain) Venlôse (wind) Germinal (seed) Floréal (blossom) Prairial (pasture) Thermidor or Fervidor (heat) Fructidor (fruit)




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