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Introduction

Each folio has two sides. The front is called 'recto' (abbreviated 'r') and the reverse 'verso' (abbreviated 'v'). Each of these sides is what is meant with a 'page'. Thus, a standard quire has 16 pages.

Some quires in the Voynich MS consist of a different number of bifolios. Furthermore, some bifolios are wider than the standard size of 12 by 9 inches and have additional folds and therefore more than the normal four pages. These are called foldouts.

Page numbers are always indicated by an 'f', followed by a number from 1 to 116, followed by an 'r' or a 'v', and optionally followed by a number from 1 to 6.

Foliation

When all foldouts are completely folded out, to the right of the binding we see the recto sides of the folios. To the left are the verso sides (of the previous folio). If the folio nr is xx, the recto pages are numbered left to right, fxxr1, fxxr2, etc. On the verso side (with the binding to the right) the verso pages are numbered right to left fxxv1, fxxv2, ...

The exception to this general rule is the pair of folios f85 and f86, which form part of a multiple-foldout and which also have a horizontal folding crease. It is explained in detail on the dedicated page.

Origin of the current numbering

In addition to the folio numbers, Petersen put a pencilled circled page number on each 'page' appearing on the positive. The Petersen page numbers were used by the FSG computer transcription efforts.
Note: The page numbers appearing in Currier's Table A are inconsistent with the Petersen page numbers in the ranges 167-179 and 206-236. He seems to be one page number out of sync in the latter range (< Reeds).

The Yale copy can also be used to define a system of page numbers, according to the frame number on the microfilm. These numbers are in 1-1 correspondence with sheets of paper in the Yale Copyflo print.

The creases on foldout folios sometimes form boundaries between distinct 'logical pages' and sometimes do not. That is, continuous lines of writing sometimes cross foldout creases.

Quire signatures

Visual representation

[QUIRE 1]
      /-------------- 001     A1  <--- Start of 'herbal' section
      ! /------------ 002     A1
      ! ! /---------- 003     A1
      ! ! ! /-------- 004     A1
      A A A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 005     A1
      ! ! \---------- 006     A1
      ! \------------ 006     A1
      \-------------- 008     A1

[QUIRE 2]
      /-------------- 009     A1
      ! /------------ 010     A1
      ! ! /---------- 011     A1
      ! ! ! /--....  (012)
      A A A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 013     A1
      ! ! \---------- 014     A1
      ! \------------ 015     A1
      \-------------- 016     A1

[QUIRE 3]
      /-------------- 017     A1
      ! /------------ 018     A1
      ! ! /---------- 019     A1
      ! ! ! /-------- 020     A1
      A A A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 021     A1
      ! ! \---------- 022     A1
      ! \------------ 023     A1
      \-------------- 024     A1

[QUIRE 4]
      /-------------- 025     A1
      ! /------------ 026     B2
      ! ! /---------- 027     A1
      ! ! ! /-------- 028     A1
      A B A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 029     A1
      ! ! \---------- 030     A1
      ! \------------ 031     B2
      \-------------- 032     A1

[QUIRE 5]
      /-------------- 033     B2
      ! /------------ 034     B2
      ! ! /---------- 035     A1
      ! ! ! /-------- 036     A1
      B B A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 037     A1
      ! ! \---------- 038     A1
      ! \------------ 039     B2
      \-------------- 040     B2

[QUIRE 6]
      /-------------- 041     B2
      ! /------------ 042     A1
      ! ! /---------- 043     B2
      ! ! ! /-------- 044     A1
      B A B A
      ! ! ! \-------- 045     A1
      ! ! \---------- 046     B2
      ! \------------ 047     A1
      \-------------- 048     B2

[QUIRE 7]
      /-------------- 049     A1
      ! /------------ 050     B2
      ! ! /---------- 051     A1
      ! ! ! /-------- 052     A1
      A B A A
      ! ! ! \-------- 053     A1
      ! ! \---------- 054     A1
      ! \------------ 055     B2
      \-------------- 056     A1

[QUIRE 8]
    /---------------- 057     B2
    ! /-------------- 058     A
    ! ! /------......(059)
    ! ! ! /----......(060)
    ! ! ! ! /--......(061)
    B A ! ! !
    ! ! ! ! \--......(062)
    ! ! ! \----......(063)
    ! ! \------......(064)
    ! \-------------- 065
    \---------------- 066     B   <--- End of 'herbal' section

[QUIRE 9]
            /-------- 067 +--     <--- Start of 'astro/cosmo' section
            !
            \-------- 068 +--+--

[QUIRE 10]
            /-------- 069
            !
            \-------- 070 +--

[QUIRE 11]
            /-------- 071
            !
            \-------- 072 +--+--

[QUIRE 12]
            /-------- 073
            !
            \--......(074)       <--- End of 'astro/cosmo' section

[QUIRE 13]
    /---------------- 075     B2  <--- Start of 'biological' section
    ! /-------------- 076     B2
    ! ! /------------ 077     B2
    ! ! ! /---------- 078     B2
    ! ! ! ! /-------- 079     B2
    B B B B B
    ! ! ! ! \-------- 080     B2
    ! ! ! \---------- 081     B2
    ! ! \------------ 082     B2
    ! \-------------- 083     B2
    \---------------- 084     B2  <--- End of 'biological' section

[QUIRE 14]
           //======== 085     B3
           !B                     <--- 9-rings multiple-fold
           \\======== 086 +== B3

[QUIRE 15]
          /---------- 087     A4  (herbal)
          ! /-------- 088     A4  (pharma)
          A A
          ! \-------- 089 +-- A   (pharma)
          \---------- 090 +-- A   (herbal)

[QUIRE 16]
            /--......(091)
            !
            \--......(092)

[QUIRE 17]
          /---------- 093     A4  (all herbal)
          ! /-------- 094     B5
          A B
          ! \-------- 095 +-- B5
          \---------- 096     A4

[QUIRE 18]
            /--......(097)
            !
            \--......(098)

[QUIRE 19]
          /---------- 099     A4? (all pharma)
          ! /-------- 100     A4?
          A A
          ! \-------- 101 +-- A4?
          \---------- 102 +-- A

[QUIRE 20]
/-------------------- 103     BX  <--- start of 'stars/recipes'
! /------------------ 104     BX
! ! /---------------- 105     BY
! ! ! /-------------- 106     BX
! ! ! ! /------------ 107     B
! ! ! ! ! /---------- 108     B
! ! ! ! ! ! /--......(109)
B B B B B B !
! ! ! ! ! ! \--......(110)
! ! ! ! ! \---------- 111     B
! ! ! ! \------------ 112     B
! ! ! \-------------- 113     B
! ! \---------------- 114     B
! \------------------ 115     B
\-------------------- 116     B   <--- end of 'stars/recipes'

Tabular overview

Quire 1

Quire 2

Quire 3

Quire 4

Quire 5

Quire 6

Quire 7

Quire 8

Quire 9

Quire 10

Quire 11

Quire 12

Quire 13

Quire 14

Quire 15

Quire 17

Quire 19

Quire 20

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