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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 3784944, member: 57463&quot;]We too easily think of ten as being &quot;natural&quot; and wonder why 12 was used.&nbsp; If you use your thumb for a pointer, you can count off twelves on the joints of the other four fingers. That is &quot;natural.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, of course 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6, whereas 10 only has 2 and 5 as factors (apart from itself and 1).&nbsp; Yet, 12x5 = 60, which correlates to the much older sexagesimal system.</p><p><br /></p><p>I point out, also, that such large numbers - numbers beyond 3 - were invented only after about 6000 BCE. The Indo-European languages only go back to about 4000 BCE and they all borrowed the name for &quot;seven&quot; from the Semitic peoples they met. &quot;Eight&quot; probably goes back to four-four. And so on.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, remember, that even into the 19th century, the German states used 12ths of a thaler (including 3rds). Despite the arguments of both Jefferson and Hamilton (together, interestingly), the USA did not adopt a wholly decimal system, but struck the quarter silver dollar and quarter gold eagle, rather than fifths.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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