- First “D” = 500
- Next “C” = 100
- Next “C” = 100
- Next “C” = 100
- “XC” is a subtractive pair: “X” (10) before “C” (100) → 100 − 10 = 90
- “IX” is a subtractive pair: “I” (1) before “X” (10) → 10 − 1 = 9
500 (D) + 100 (C) + 100 (C) + 100 (C) + 90 (XC) + 9 (IX) = 899