Roman numerals have a way of making a date look permanent, as if it was always meant to be carved into something. They're also surprisingly easy to get slightly wrong. Here's a simple guide to writing your own.
The seven letters
Every Roman numeral is built from just seven letters:
I = 1 · V = 5 · X = 10 · L = 50 · C = 100 · D = 500 · M = 1000
Letters are written from largest to smallest and added together. So VI is 6 (5 + 1), XV is 15 (10 + 5) and MD is 1500 (1000 + 500).
The subtraction rule
When a smaller letter comes before a larger one, it's subtracted instead. That's how 4 becomes IV (5 − 1) and 9 becomes IX (10 − 1). The same rule gives you XL for 40, XC for 90, CD for 400 and CM for 900. You'll never need more than three of the same letter in a row, so 4 is always IV, never IIII.
Working out a year
Break the year into thousands, hundreds, tens and units, convert each part, then join them up:
2024 = 2000 + 20 + 4 = MM + XX + IV = MMXXIV
1987 = 1000 + 900 + 80 + 7 = M + CM + LXXX + VII = MCMLXXXVII
Putting the whole date together
Write the day, then the month, then the year, the way dates are written in the UK. Our date, the fourth of November, becomes IV · XI. Add a year, say 2024, and you have IV · XI · MMXXIV. Dots, spaces or full stops between the parts are all fine; it's purely a matter of taste.
Check it twice
Long years like MCMLXXXVIII (1988) are easy to mistype. Before you order, count the letters against your breakdown. Every order is read by a person before it's engraved, but we engrave exactly what you send, so it's worth a second look. Ready to see yours in oak? Browse the keyrings.
