 This is a system of encasing numbers to denote thousands (imagine the s and s as parentheses), which has its origins in Etruscan numeral usage.The and used to represent 500 and 1,000 most likely preceded, and subsequently influenced, the adoption of "" and "" in conventional Roman numerals.In this system, an extra denoted 500, and multiple extra s are used to denote 5,000, 50,000, etc.