Counting . . . we all do it many times every day. We count our stuffed animals, forks needed for setting the table, and our number of hits in the big game.

From the earliest time,
man has had a need to count.

  How many dinosaurs are headed our way?     

Have you ever wondered how people counted before we had numerals?      
They counted on their fingers. 
They made lines in the dirt.

All numerals can be written by combining these symbols that the Romans used.

Romans added and subtracted their numerals to show the exact value that was needed.

     VI means 5+1 so
     VI means 6

                      IV means 5-1 so
                      IV means 4

                       

III means 1+1+1 so
III = 

LXI means 50 + 10 + 1 so
LXI= 

CC = 100 20 200 XVI = 14 16 10 CLX = 160 100 151

CX = 60 110 1,001 CV = 55 95 105 XX = 10 20 200

If a smaller numeral is to the left, subtract
it from the larger numeral to the right.

IV means 1 subtracted from 5 so
IV = 4

        XL means 10 subtracted from 50 so
        XL = 40

IX means 1 subtracted from 10 so
IX = 9

IX means 1 from 10 so
IX =  
XL means 10 from 50 so
XL= 
IV = 4 5 6       IC = 100 99 101        XC = 100 99 90

VL = 55 50 45       VC = 95 99 105       IL = 40 49 51

Remember: always start reading from the left.

CXL means
C = 100
XL = 10 from 50 = 40
CXL means 100 + 40 = 140

XIV means
X = 10
IV = 1 from 5 = 4
XIV = 10 + 4 = 

CIV = 100 104 106   XLV = 45 55 65

XIX =  19 21 20 CCIX = 109 200 209