About Roman Numerals
on Clocks!

The system of Roman numerals is a numeral system originating in ancient Rome, and was adapted from Etruscan numerals. The system used in antiquity was slightly modified in the Middle Ages to produce the system we use today.

It is based on certain letters which are given values as numerals: I or i for one, V or v for five, X or x for ten, L or l for fifty, C or c for one hundred (centum), D or d for five hundred, M or m for one thousand (mille).

Clock faces that are labelled using Roman numerals conventionally show IIII for 4 o'clock and IX for 9 o'clock, using the subtractive principle in one case and not in the other.