diff --git a/karapace/dependency.py b/karapace/dependency.py
index 074263af7..a289e1f25 100644
--- a/karapace/dependency.py
+++ b/karapace/dependency.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def to_dict(self) -> JsonData:
         return {
             "name": self.name,
             "subject": self.subject,
-            "version": self.version,
+            "version": self.version.value,
         }
 
     def identifier(self) -> str:
diff --git a/karapace/in_memory_database.py b/karapace/in_memory_database.py
index 81bf474d4..01e0153c1 100644
--- a/karapace/in_memory_database.py
+++ b/karapace/in_memory_database.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def _get_from_hash_cache(self, *, typed_schema: TypedSchema) -> TypedSchema:
         return self._hash_to_schema.setdefault(typed_schema.fingerprint(), typed_schema)
 
     def get_next_version(self, *, subject: Subject) -> Version:
-        return Versioner.V(max(self.subjects[subject].schemas) + 1)
+        return Versioner.V(max(self.subjects[subject].schemas).value + 1)
 
     def insert_schema_version(
         self,
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def find_subject_schemas(self, *, subject: Subject, include_deleted: bool) -> di
             return self.subjects[subject].schemas
         with self.schema_lock_thread:
             return {
-                Versioner.V(version_id): schema_version
+                version_id: schema_version
                 for version_id, schema_version in self.subjects[subject].schemas.items()
                 if schema_version.deleted is False
             }
diff --git a/karapace/schema_reader.py b/karapace/schema_reader.py
index f591ac3a5..0e81253d0 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_reader.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_reader.py
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ def _handle_msg_delete_subject(self, key: dict, value: dict | None) -> None:  #
             return
 
         subject = value["subject"]
-        version = value["version"]
+        version = Version(value["version"])
         if self.database.find_subject(subject=subject) is None:
             LOG.warning("Subject: %r did not exist, should have", subject)
         else:
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ def _handle_msg_delete_subject(self, key: dict, value: dict | None) -> None:  #
             self.database.delete_subject(subject=subject, version=version)
 
     def _handle_msg_schema_hard_delete(self, key: dict) -> None:
-        subject, version = key["subject"], key["version"]
+        subject, version = key["subject"], Version(key["version"])
 
         if self.database.find_subject(subject=subject) is None:
             LOG.warning("Hard delete: Subject %s did not exist, should have", subject)
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ def _handle_msg_schema(self, key: dict, value: dict | None) -> None:
         schema_str = value["schema"]
         schema_subject = value["subject"]
         schema_id = value["id"]
-        schema_version = value["version"]
+        schema_version = Version(value["version"])
         schema_deleted = value.get("deleted", False)
         schema_references = value.get("references", None)
         resolved_references: list[Reference] | None = None
diff --git a/karapace/schema_references.py b/karapace/schema_references.py
index 9973b0ccb..0eae47141 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_references.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_references.py
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ def to_dict(self) -> JsonData:
         return {
             "name": self.name,
             "subject": self.subject,
-            "version": self.version,
+            "version": self.version.value,
         }
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/karapace/schema_registry.py b/karapace/schema_registry.py
index 2c6d46bfd..e4d24db2e 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_registry.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_registry.py
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ def subject_version_get(self, subject: Subject, version: Version, *, include_del
 
         ret: JsonObject = {
             "subject": subject,
-            "version": resolved_version,
+            "version": resolved_version.value,
             "id": schema_id,
             "schema": schema.schema_str,
         }
@@ -427,11 +427,11 @@ def send_schema_message(
         deleted: bool,
         references: Sequence[Reference] | None,
     ) -> None:
-        key = {"subject": subject, "version": version, "magic": 1, "keytype": "SCHEMA"}
+        key = {"subject": subject, "version": version.value, "magic": 1, "keytype": "SCHEMA"}
         if schema:
             value = {
                 "subject": subject,
-                "version": version,
+                "version": version.value,
                 "id": schema_id,
                 "schema": str(schema),
                 "deleted": deleted,
@@ -461,5 +461,5 @@ def resolve_references(
 
     def send_delete_subject_message(self, subject: Subject, version: Version) -> None:
         key = {"subject": subject, "magic": 0, "keytype": "DELETE_SUBJECT"}
-        value = {"subject": subject, "version": version}
+        value = {"subject": subject, "version": version.value}
         self.producer.send_message(key=key, value=value)
diff --git a/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py b/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
index b1515ab8d..4ef7b884a 100644
--- a/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
+++ b/karapace/schema_registry_apis.py
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ async def schemas_list(self, content_type: str, *, request: HTTPRequest, user: U
             for schema_version in schema_versions:
                 response_schema = {
                     "subject": schema_version.subject,
-                    "version": schema_version.version,
+                    "version": schema_version.version.value,
                     "id": schema_version.schema_id,
                     "schemaType": schema_version.schema.schema_type,
                 }
@@ -571,7 +571,12 @@ async def schemas_get_versions(
             subject = subject_version["subject"]
             if self._auth and not self._auth.check_authorization(user, Operation.Read, f"Subject:{subject}"):
                 continue
-            subject_versions.append(subject_version)
+            subject_versions.append(
+                {
+                    "subject": subject_version["subject"],
+                    "version": subject_version["version"].value,
+                }
+            )
         self.r(subject_versions, content_type)
 
     async def schemas_types(self, content_type: str) -> None:
@@ -733,7 +738,7 @@ async def subject_delete(
         if are_we_master:
             try:
                 version_list = await self.schema_registry.subject_delete_local(subject=subject, permanent=permanent)
-                self.r(version_list, content_type, status=HTTPStatus.OK)
+                self.r([version.value for version in version_list], content_type, status=HTTPStatus.OK)
             except (SubjectNotFoundException, SchemasNotFoundException):
                 self.r(
                     body={
@@ -951,7 +956,8 @@ async def subject_versions_list(
         deleted = request.query.get("deleted", "false").lower() == "true"
         try:
             schema_versions = self.schema_registry.subject_get(subject, include_deleted=deleted)
-            self.r(list(schema_versions), content_type, status=HTTPStatus.OK)
+            version_list = [version.value for version in schema_versions]
+            self.r(version_list, content_type, status=HTTPStatus.OK)
         except (SubjectNotFoundException, SchemasNotFoundException):
             self.r(
                 body={
@@ -1170,7 +1176,7 @@ async def subjects_schema_post(
             if parsed_typed_schema.schema_type == new_schema.schema_type and schema_valid:
                 ret = {
                     "subject": subject,
-                    "version": schema_version.version,
+                    "version": schema_version.version.value,
                     "id": schema_version.schema_id,
                     "schema": parsed_typed_schema.schema_str,
                 }
diff --git a/karapace/typing.py b/karapace/typing.py
index 40b29fa2d..02b14d4c1 100644
--- a/karapace/typing.py
+++ b/karapace/typing.py
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 from typing import ClassVar, Dict, List, Mapping, NewType, Sequence, Union
 from typing_extensions import TypeAlias
 
+import functools
+
 JsonArray: TypeAlias = List["JsonData"]
 JsonObject: TypeAlias = Dict[str, "JsonData"]
 JsonScalar: TypeAlias = Union[str, int, float, None]
@@ -59,23 +61,41 @@ class Mode(StrEnum):
     readwrite = "READWRITE"
 
 
-class Version(int):
+@functools.total_ordering
+class Version:
     LATEST_VERSION_TAG: ClassVar[str] = "latest"
     MINUS_1_VERSION_TAG: ClassVar[int] = -1
 
-    def __new__(cls, version: int) -> Version:
+    def __init__(self, version: int) -> None:
         if not isinstance(version, int):
             raise InvalidVersion(f"Invalid version {version}")
-        if (version < cls.MINUS_1_VERSION_TAG) or (version == 0):
+        if (version < Version.MINUS_1_VERSION_TAG) or (version == 0):
             raise InvalidVersion(f"Invalid version {version}")
-        return super().__new__(cls, version)
+        self._value = version
 
     def __str__(self) -> str:
-        return f"{int(self)}"
+        return f"{int(self._value)}"
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
-        return f"Version={int(self)}"
+        return f"Version({int(self._value)})"
+
+    def __lt__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if isinstance(other, Version):
+            return self._value < other.value
+        return NotImplemented
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if isinstance(other, Version):
+            return self._value == other.value
+        return NotImplemented
+
+    def __hash__(self) -> int:
+        return hash(self._value)
+
+    @property
+    def value(self) -> int:
+        return self._value
 
     @property
     def is_latest(self) -> bool:
-        return self == self.MINUS_1_VERSION_TAG
+        return self.value == self.MINUS_1_VERSION_TAG
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_schema_models.py b/tests/unit/test_schema_models.py
index fc1590da9..9b27d27a0 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_schema_models.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_schema_models.py
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ def version(self):
         return Versioner.V(1)
 
     def test_version(self, version: Version):
-        assert version == 1
+        assert version == Version(1)
         assert isinstance(version, Version)
-        assert issubclass(Version, int)
+        assert isinstance(version.value, int)
 
     def test_tags(self, version: Version):
         assert version.LATEST_VERSION_TAG == "latest"
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def test_is_latest(self, version: Version, is_latest: bool):
 
     def test_text_formating(self, version: Version):
         assert f"{version}" == "1"
-        assert f"{version!r}" == "Version=1"
+        assert f"{version!r}" == "Version(1)"
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "version, to_compare, comparer, valid",