I believe I may have independently invented/discovered a new system of dactylonomy. In other words, this is a method of counting and doing basic math operations using only the fingers of both hands.

This is a scan of an Excel file of my Finger Counting System. It is similar to but different than Chisanbop and other systems. I explored several other systems before deciding to use this one.
Some systems require you to either place fingers on, or lift fingers up from a table or desk. Some others require that fingers be folded under. With old age and creaky joints, I wanted something that I could use either openly or secretly. Since it can be used tactilely or visually, this system can be used by blind folks! You can use it with your hands in your pockets or under the table, etc.

As an ex-engineer from the computer field, I understand the “languages” of hexadecimal, binary, binary-coded-decimal, octal, etc. But, counting and doing math operations with them is more suited for computers than humans. Some finger counting systems have the number one using the index finger. Others use the pinky to begin counting.

How to count: Begin with two closed fists, palms down. Th = Thumb, I = index, m = middle, r = ring, and p = pinky finger.

1 = Right thumb extended.
2 = Right thumb AND index finger extended.
3 = Right thumb AND index finger AND middle finger extended.
4 = Right thumb AND index finger AND middle finger AND ring finger extended.
5 = Right thumb AND all four fingers extended.
6 = Right thumb touches the tip of the index finger.
7 = Right thumb touches the tip of the middle finger.
8 = Right thumb touches the tip of the ring finger.
9 = Right thumb touches the tip of the pinky finger.

10 = Left thumb extended and Right fist closed.
20 - 90 = The left hand is a mirror image of the right hand operations above.

The numbers 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, and 99 use the same (mirrored) positions on both hands. The yellow shaded boxes show that the thumb is touching one (and only one) finger!

Besides performing math operations and basic counting, this can be used as a “storage device” to hold one number while doing other mental calculations. Right now I am using it every day to rapidly and accurately subtract 2-digit numbers from other 2-digit numbers as used in Scott Cram’s Day One Calendar/DFAD System. I also use it to check the rows and columns of Magic Squares. I just now started learning from Art Benjamin’s Mental Math videos and PDF. I imagine this counting system will be used every step along the way.

If this system has been previously described by anyone else, please let me know.

P r m i Th Th i m r p

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
6 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

10 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
15 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
16 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
18 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
19 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

20 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
23 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
24 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
25 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
26 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
27 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
28 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
29 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

30 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
31 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
32 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
33 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
34 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
35 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
36 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
37 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
38 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
39 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

40 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
41 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
42 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
43 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
44 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
45 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
46 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
47 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
48 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
49 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

Drat! My JPG of this file is too large to attach here. Let me know if anyone would like to host the original Excel file or the JPG. Cutting and pasting directly lost all the formatting.

P r m I Th T I m r p p r m I Th T I m r p

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 51 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 52 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 53 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 54 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 55 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
6 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 56 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 57 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 58 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 59 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

10 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 60 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 61 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 62 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 63 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 64 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
15 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 65 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
16 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 66 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 67 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
18 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 68 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0
19 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 69 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1

20 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 70 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 71 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 72 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
23 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 73 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
24 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 74 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
25 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 75 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
26 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 76 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
27 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 77 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
28 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 78 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
29 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 79 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

30 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 80 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
31 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 81 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
32 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 82 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
33 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 83 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
34 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 84 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
35 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 85 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
36 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 86 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
37 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 87 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
38 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 88 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
39 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 89 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

40 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 90 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
41 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 91 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
42 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 92 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
43 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 93 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
44 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 94 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
45 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 95 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
46 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 96 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
47 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 97 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
48 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 98 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
49 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 99 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

Ok, I think this will work. I saved it as a text file.