Roman Numerals 1 to 100: Chart, Symbols, and Rules

Roman numerals are built from seven letters: I is 1, V is 5, X is 10, L is 50, C is 100, D is 500, and M is 1,000, combined by addition and subtraction.

Written by: ScienceStruck Editorial
Published: December 23, 2010
Reading time: 5 minutes
Filed under: Math

A weathered ancient Roman counting board with carved grooves and rounded counting stones

Roman numerals use seven letters, combined by adding (VI = 6) and by subtracting when a smaller value sits in front of a larger one (IV = 4). The full 1 to 100 chart is further down; here are the symbols and the tens.

Symbol	I	V	X	L	C	D	M
Value	1	5	10	50	100	500	1,000

10	X	20	XX	30	XXX	40	XL	50	L
60	LX	70	LXX	80	LXXX	90	XC	100	C

We all must have seen the Roman numbers on our watches or clock faces, list items, chapter headings, copyright dates, or may be the titles of films with sequels. But, we seldom think about the history of Roman numerals. Let’s travel back in time and try to trace the origin of Roman numerals.

History of Roman Numerals

The history of Roman numbers dates back to the 1^st millennium BCE when they were used to record numbers on stones, coins, or in some art form. Records have been found which confirm that they were used by ancient Etruscan. Roman numerals have originated in ancient Rome where they were used in their numeral system. They were also used to number the entrances of the various sections of the Colosseum which was built around 80 CE. Many historians contend that the digits in the Roman numerals are related to the hand signals made by one person to another. For example, I, II, III correspond to the fingers held up to convey the corresponding value (which we all still do). Now, let us try to understand as to how to read these numerals.

Roman Numerals Conversion

Roman numerals use certain letters of the alphabet which are combined to form the sum or difference of their values. This system does not include a zero and the decimal is not directly positional. The numerals are based on seven symbols. I for unit, V for five, X for ten, etc. Seven basic symbols have been given below:

Symbol	Value
I	One
V	Five
X	Ten
L	Fifty
C	One Hundred
D	Five Hundred
M	One Thousand

Large Roman Numerals Conversion Chart

For large numbers, i.e., 4000 and above, a bar is placed above the basic symbol. Another way to represent large numbers is to place parentheses around the basic symbol.

Symbol	Value
V or (V)	Five Thousand
X or (X)	Ten Thousand
L or (L)	Fifty Thousand
C or (C)	One Hundred Thousand
D or (D)	Five Hundred Thousand
M or (M)	One Million

This pattern can be extrapolated to arrive at this generic table:

	x1	x2	x3	x4	x5	x6	x7	x8	x9
Ones	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX
Tens	X	XX	XXX	XL	L	LX	LXX	LXXX	XC
Hundreds	C	CC	CCC	CD	D	DC	DCC	DCCC	CM
Thousands	M	MM	MMM	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX
Ten Thousands	X	XX	XXX	XL	L	LX	LXX	LXXX	XC
Hundred Thousands	C	CC	CCC	CD	D	DC	DCC	DCCC	CM

Learning Roman Numerals

Some people (in fact most of us) might find the above tables difficult to remember. So, here is a ‘Mantra’ that will help you remember the chart for a very long time.

‘My Dear Cousin Loves Xmas Vacations’

My	M	1000
Dear	D	500
Cousin	C	100
Loves	L	50
Xmas	X	10
Vacations	V	5

Roman Numerals 1 to 100 Chart

Now, if you want a list of 1 - 100 Roman numerals, take a look at the conversion chart which is given below for your reference.

1	I	11	XI	21	XXI	31	XXXI	41	XLI	51	LI	61	LXI	71	LXXI	81	LXXXI	91	XCI
2	II	12	XII	22	XXII	32	XXXII	42	XLII	52	LII	62	LXII	72	LXXII	82	LXXXII	92	XCII
3	III	13	XIII	23	XXIII	33	XXXIII	43	XLIII	53	LIII	63	LXIII	73	LXXIII	83	LXXXIII	93	XCIII
4	IV	14	XIV	24	XXIV	34	XXXIV	44	XLIV	54	LIV	64	LXIV	74	LXXIV	84	LXXXIV	94	XCIV
5	V	15	XV	25	XXV	35	XXXV	45	XLV	55	LV	65	LXV	75	LXXV	85	LXXXV	95	XCV
6	VI	16	XVI	26	XXVI	36	XXXVI	46	XLVI	56	LVI	66	LXVI	76	LXXVI	86	LXXXVI	96	LCVI
7	VII	17	XVII	27	XXVII	37	XXXVII	47	XLVII	57	LVII	67	LXVII	77	LXXVII	87	LXXXVII	97	XCVII
8	VIII	18	XVIII	28	XXVIII	38	XXXVIII	48	XLVIII	58	LVIII	68	LXVIII	78	LXXVIII	88	LXXXVIII	98	XCVIII
9	IX	19	XIX	29	XXIX	39	XXXIX	49	XLIX	59	LIX	69	LXIX	79	LXXIX	89	LXXXIX	99	XCIX
10	X	20	XX	30	XXX	40	XL	50	L	60	LX	70	LXX	80	LXXX	90	XC	100	C

Printable Roman Numerals Chart for Kids

Now, kids often get assignments regarding Roman numerals. Given below is a link containing a chart.

So, in the above article we learned about the history of Roman numerals, their conversion, and we also saw the symbols from 1 to 100. Hoping that this article will prove to be useful to you. You can save the Roman numerals chart for your further reference and can also take a printout. If you liked the above article, spare a few seconds and leave a comment in the comment box below.

Reading a Roman numeral chart draws on the same core math skills as reading any other number system.

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