PURPOSE: To recognize a printed character by use of a simple circuit, and to execute the processing at a high speed, by deriving the center of a stored numeral from the contents of a memory element for storing an output signal from a read-out part by each picture element.

CONSTITUTION: A picture containing a printed numeral is scanned by a numeral read part 1, and a binary signal is outputted depending on whether information of each picture element is a picture element containing a numeral part or a picture element containing no numeral. An output signal from this read part 1 is stored in a memory element corresponding to a co-ordinate position of each picture element of a two-dimensional local memory 2. From the memory contents of each memory element of this memory 2, the center of a numeral is derived by a numeral center detecting circuit 3. From the center which has been derived by the circuit 3, an output of the memory 2 is split into 4 parts by an operating circuit 4, the number of memory elements containing a numeral in each part of said 4 pieces is summed up, and from the total value, a decision level of a kind of a prescribed character is calculated, and a numeral is discriminated in a numeral discriminating circuit 5 in accordance with said decision level.