Egypt Vexillum

[jvrjenivs]

Thats interesting Jurjen.
I always assumed it was so you cold tell which way up the inscription was to stand lol:

No, that's the reason why painters tent to sign their work in the right bottom corner...

I'm just thinking that I got this knowledge from my centurio, when I had to paint the Parma of the 2nd cohort of Batavians, and he was referring to a ~ sign, not a straight line. But anyway, I think a straight line would probably do the same as it is a longer number, where a ~ wouldn't do a nice result.