Disclosure for representing one or more numbers as a geometric counting mechanism that comprises an arrangement of geometric shapes and decoding the geometric counting mechanism into the represented number or numbers is provided. Decoding a geometric counting mechanism includes at least identifying a container geometry, determining a primary multiplier, a secondary multiplier, and an additive component value based on the geometric shapes identified in the geometric counting mechanism and their locations in the arrangement. The geometric counting mechanism can be decoded in a clockwise and/or counterclockwise manner, therefore one geometric counting mechanism can represent more than one number.