seven with a cross-bar?

[cuttlefish]

California public school. I haven't used cursive writing since the 7th grade anyway.
That's about the year the teachers care more about content than penmanship, and some of them let us type our papers.

[cerulean]

In most cases, when they're similar, the opening swash of the L will be turned upward while that of the Z is turned downward. But the rules aren't hard and fast enough that you can be absolutely sure when you see a Z on its own, with no L to compare it to.

Here are some examples that I found on MyFonts, a few that depend on a crossbar and some more that could really use one.

(What the hell, Letraset.)

This is why the descending "3" form of Z is probably the wisest choice for fancy scripts.

[Riccardo Sartori]

That last Aristocrat example is almost unbelievable!

[BeauW]

I'm dealing with number-heavy, hand written instructions from my European co-worker every day, and if not for the barred 7, I would mix it up with the 1, 2, 5 and 9 (the way she writes them.)

[JoergGustafs]

Aristocrat? More like Cheapskate ;)

[runfastkickass]

I am an American and I believe the reason why each number is the way it is because of the number of angles. When reasoning numbers visually to a young learner
- 0 has no sharp angles
- 1 has one upright angle
- 2 should have two angles. one back one forth
- 3 should have 3 angles back forth...back forth
- 4 is the one that actually should not be crossed with three angles inside the closed four and one at the crook
- 5 should be a S with a bottom up angle do distinguish between number and letter
- 6 is one square and an incomplete square by one side
- 7 is the most messed with in terms of its original logic it should have a mini crossed base and center with its usual top and slash side
- 8 two squares simple enough
- 9 looks more like a g than a flip side 6

Just google the logic of numbers and go to images to find the true reasoning of numbers
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-origin-numbers-shape-image10670373