Roman numbers fun facts : 

They use the numbers in capital letters. 

The number 1 which in Roman I is derived from the use of a finger for 1. 

The number 5 which in Roman is a V  is derived  form the "hand" but holding down the three middle fingers. 

The number 10 in Roman is X which is derived from 2 hands - one V up and one ^ down making the X.

 The Roman C is thought to come from the C in Century or 100 years. 

Roman numerals were used by the Ancient Romans as their numbering system. We still use them sometimes today. You see them in the Super Bowl's numbering system, after king's names (King Henry IV), in outlines, and other places. Roman numerals are base 10 or decimal, like the numbers we use today. They are not entirely positional, however, and there is no number zero.

Roman numerals follows the history of ancient Rome itself from its early stages at the Latin Palatine Hill in 8th and 9th century BC to its fall in the 2nd Century AD from civil war, plague, civil apathy and the rise of Christianity and Northern European powers.

“The Roman Empire had inspirational, industrious and intellectual beginnings. Emperor Domitianus, Aristotle, Aristarchus, Eratosthenes, Euclid and Archamedes helped to build Rome into an ancient power, developing sophisticated intellectual and mathematical skills to build the Colosseum, Constantine’s Arch, Pantheon, Roman Baths and Civil society. However, their number system was flawed, it had no zero (0), and no single method for counting above several thousand units, (lines were often placed over numerals to indicate multiples of their value).”

Roman numerals were used to record numbers in stone, art and coins. However that was a long time ago, these days they are used for list items, chapter headings, copyright dates and to mark film sequels such as the Star Wars films.

Roman numerals are also used on clock and watch faces. If you have seen a clock with Roman numbers, you may have realised that the number four is written as IIII instead of IV, this is because it adds symmetry to the clock face – although I don’t really think it adds symmetry at all. Numerals are often used to show the time on sundials too.

source : http://xiv.org/index.html