What is a Good Font for Roman Numerals?

Looking for a good font for Roman numerals? We’ve got you covered. Today we’ll examine what Roman numerals are and then look at what font styles are most suitable to use for Roman numerals.

What Are Roman Numerals?

Roman numerals are numerical symbols based on an ancient Roman system.

The symbols are: I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, which represent 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 respectively. These seven letters are used to create thousands of numbers.

A gold clock timepiece with roman numerals A gold clock timepiece with roman numerals A gold clock timepiece with roman numerals
A gold clock with Roman numerals from Envato Elements

When Roman numerals are written largest to smallest from left to right, this indicates that the symbols are to be added together to create a larger number, e.g. VI = 6. However, when a smaller number is placed before a larger one, this indicates that the first number is to be subtracted from the one that follows, e.g. IV = 4.

When Are Roman Numerals Used Today?

King Charles III via Wikimedia CommonsKing Charles III via Wikimedia CommonsKing Charles III via Wikimedia CommonsKing Charles III via Wikimedia Commons

Roman numerals are still quite popular today and are often used in very specific ways. For example:

  • to mark the hours on a clock face
  • for competitions such as the Super Bowl and Olympic Games, to represent how many times the event has been held
  • page numbers for introductory material in some books
  • for book chapters
  • copyright dates on film and TV shows
  • to refer to kings, queens, emperors, and popes
Allegiants Stadium Super Bowl LVIIIAllegiants Stadium Super Bowl LVIIIAllegiants Stadium Super Bowl LVIII
Allegiants Stadium Super Bowl LVIII

Good Fonts for Roman Numerals

When looking for a good font for Roman numerals, there are two directions you can go in. One is the classic route of the strong serif font, and the other is the more contemporary route of the bold sans serif font.

Here is a list of the best Roman numeral fonts you can find at Envato Elements, a subscription-based marketplace that offers tons of premium fonts, graphic templatesadd-ons, logos, and more, all for one low monthly fee.

Classic Roman Numeral Fonts