Spectrum #41: Order these fonts by creation — the solution
The Spectrum puzzle from September 24, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.
The puzzle
Order these fonts by creation, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:
- Futura
- Baskerville
- Arial
- Comic Sans
- Helvetica
- Times New Roman
Nothing was in its place; Times New Roman opened 3 places from home.
The walkthrough
The ends first. Baskerville is the earliest of the six at 1757 and Comic Sans the latest at 1994. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.
Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between Baskerville (1757) and Futura (1927) — 170 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.
The closest call. Futura (1927) and Times New Roman (1932) are only 5 years apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.
The answer
| # | Earliest to Latest | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baskerville | 1757 |
| 2 | Futura | 1927 |
| 3 | Times New Roman | 1932 |
| 4 | Helvetica | 1957 |
| 5 | Arial | 1982 |
| 6 | Comic Sans | 1994 |
Previous: Spectrum #40 (Wed, Sep 23)
About Spectrum
Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.