> This leaves ambiguous how to refer to decades like 1800-1809. For these you should ~~specify the wildcard digits as “the 180*s” manually~~ write out the range. Please do not write “the 181st decade”.
I think it wouldn't be wrong to say "the 1800s decade" or "the primus 2000s" or "the alpha 1900s"
I don't find it persuasive. First of all, people are not going to start writing and saying wildcards. Second, there is an established convention to say "2000s" and mean 2000-2009.
I think it wouldn't be wrong to say "the 1800s decade" or "the primus 2000s" or "the alpha 1900s"