Year · 19th century
1900 in Roman numerals
1900 is written MCM
Type any other number or numeral below to convert it.
Above 3,999? Type the barred part in brackets, e.g. (IV)CC = 4,200.
How MCM is built
Roman numerals are written one decimal place at a time, largest first.
- Mthousands · 1M is 1,000.
- CMhundreds · 9C before M means 1,000 − 100 = 900. This saves writing DCCCC.
1,000 + 900 = 1,900
The pair CM uses subtraction: a smaller letter before a larger one is taken away from it. Only six pairs work this way: IV, IX, XL, XC, CD and CM. More on subtraction
Mistakes to avoid
- Not MDCCCC (6 letters). That adds everything up without subtraction. The Romans sometimes wrote numbers this way, and clocks still show 4 as IIII, but today MCM (3 letters) is the standard.
- There's no letter for zero. The zeros are simply left out, which is why 1900 has 2 parts, not 4.
1900 for a tattoo or engraving
- It can't be shortened to two digits: 1900 ends in 00, and there's no Roman numeral for zero. Use the full MCM.
- MCM has 3 letters, one of the shortest years from 1900 to 2100. It suits small, neat placements.
- 1900 was not a leap year (365 days), and 1 January 1900 was a Monday.
See MCM in tattoo lettering
MCM in ten open-source fonts, on your skin tone, ready to download or print as a stencil.
PNG downloads are 3000 px with a transparent background. SVG downloads keep the lettering as outlines, so they look the same in any app. All fonts are open source (SIL Open Font Licence) and free to use for tattoos and products. See the font credits.
Years around 1900
Within the 1900s, every year starts MCM (1,900).
Every year from 1900 to 1908 starts MCM (1,900); only the ending changes.
| Number | Roman numeral |
|---|---|
| 1900 | MCM |
| 1901 | MCMI |
| 1902 | MCMII |
| 1903 | MCMIII |
| 1904 | MCMIV |
| 1905 | MCMV |
| 1906 | MCMVI |
| 1907 | MCMVII |
| 1908 | MCMVIII |