diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ca74284..1b6b04c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ pricehist fetch -h
 usage: pricehist fetch SOURCE PAIR [-h] [-vvv] [-t TYPE] [-s DATE | -sx DATE] [-e DATE | -ex DATE]
 [-o beancount|csv|json|jsonl|gnucash-sql|ledger] [--invert] [--quantize INT]
 [--fmt-base SYM] [--fmt-quote SYM] [--fmt-time TIME] [--fmt-decimal CHAR] [--fmt-thousands CHAR]
-[--fmt-symbol rightspace|right|leftspace|left] [--fmt-datesep CHAR] [--fmt-csvdelim CHAR]
+[--fmt-symbol rightspace|right|leftspace|left] [--fmt-datesep CHAR]
+[--fmt-csvdelim CHAR] [--fmt-jsonnums]
 
 positional arguments:
   SOURCE                   the source identifier
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ optional arguments:
   --fmt-symbol LOCATION    commodity symbol placement in output (default: rightspace)
   --fmt-datesep CHAR       date separator in output (default: '-')
   --fmt-csvdelim CHAR      field delimiter for CSV output (default: ',')
+  --fmt-jsonnums           numbers not strings for JSON output (default: False)
 ```
 
 ### Choose and customize the output format
diff --git a/src/pricehist/cli.py b/src/pricehist/cli.py
index d676856..9e4a69d 100644
--- a/src/pricehist/cli.py
+++ b/src/pricehist/cli.py
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ def build_parser():
             "[--fmt-base SYM] [--fmt-quote SYM] [--fmt-time TIME] "
             "[--fmt-decimal CHAR] [--fmt-thousands CHAR] "
             "[--fmt-symbol rightspace|right|leftspace|left] [--fmt-datesep CHAR] "
-            "[--fmt-csvdelim CHAR]"
+            "[--fmt-csvdelim CHAR] [--fmt-jsonnums]"
         ),
         formatter_class=formatter,
     )
@@ -353,5 +353,11 @@ def build_parser():
         type=valid_char,
         help=f"field delimiter for CSV output (default: '{default_fmt.csvdelim}')",
     )
+    fetch_parser.add_argument(
+        "--fmt-jsonnums",
+        dest="formatjsonnums",
+        action="store_true",
+        help=f"numbers not strings for JSON output (default: {default_fmt.jsonnums})",
+    )
 
     return parser
diff --git a/src/pricehist/format.py b/src/pricehist/format.py
index fb7a8de..14207e7 100644
--- a/src/pricehist/format.py
+++ b/src/pricehist/format.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class Format:
     symbol: str = "rightspace"
     datesep: str = "-"
     csvdelim: str = ","
+    jsonnums: bool = False
 
     @classmethod
     def fromargs(cls, args):
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ class Format:
             symbol=if_not_none(args.formatsymbol, default.symbol),
             datesep=if_not_none(args.formatdatesep, default.datesep),
             csvdelim=if_not_none(args.formatcsvdelim, default.csvdelim),
+            jsonnums=if_not_none(args.formatjsonnums, default.jsonnums),
         )
 
     def format_date(self, date):
diff --git a/src/pricehist/outputs/json.py b/src/pricehist/outputs/json.py
index 9deb90e..8983e8e 100644
--- a/src/pricehist/outputs/json.py
+++ b/src/pricehist/outputs/json.py
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@ class JSON(BaseOutput):
 
         for price in series.prices:
             date = fmt.format_date(price.date)
-            amount = fmt.format_num(price.amount)
+            if fmt.jsonnums:
+                amount = float(price.amount)
+            else:
+                amount = fmt.format_num(price.amount)
 
             data.append(
                 {
diff --git a/tests/pricehist/outputs/test_json.py b/tests/pricehist/outputs/test_json.py
index 608007e..4b3d3fd 100644
--- a/tests/pricehist/outputs/test_json.py
+++ b/tests/pricehist/outputs/test_json.py
@@ -125,3 +125,44 @@ def test_format_custom(json_out, series, mocker):
         ).strip()
         + "\n"
     )
+
+
+def test_format_numbers(json_out, series, mocker):
+    source = mocker.MagicMock()
+    source.id = mocker.MagicMock(return_value="sourceid")
+    fmt = Format(jsonnums=True)
+    result = json_out.format(series, source, fmt)
+    assert (
+        result
+        == dedent(
+            """
+                [
+                  {
+                    "date": "2021-01-01",
+                    "base": "BTC",
+                    "quote": "EUR",
+                    "amount": 24139.4648,
+                    "source": "sourceid",
+                    "type": "close"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "date": "2021-01-02",
+                    "base": "BTC",
+                    "quote": "EUR",
+                    "amount": 26533.576,
+                    "source": "sourceid",
+                    "type": "close"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "date": "2021-01-03",
+                    "base": "BTC",
+                    "quote": "EUR",
+                    "amount": 27001.2846,
+                    "source": "sourceid",
+                    "type": "close"
+                  }
+                ]
+            """
+        ).strip()
+        + "\n"
+    )
diff --git a/tests/pricehist/test_format.py b/tests/pricehist/test_format.py
index 2795037..e816850 100644
--- a/tests/pricehist/test_format.py
+++ b/tests/pricehist/test_format.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ def test_fromargs():
         "formatdatesep": None,
         "formatcsvdelim": None,
         "formatbase": None,
+        "formatjsonnums": None,
     }
     args = namedtuple("args", arg_values.keys())(**arg_values)
     fmt = Format.fromargs(args)