diff --git a/JSONArray.java b/JSONArray.java
index 132d46d..18d43ce 100644
--- a/JSONArray.java
+++ b/JSONArray.java
@@ -518,11 +518,63 @@ public class JSONArray implements Iterable<Object> {
      * @return The value.
      */
     public double optDouble(int index, double defaultValue) {
-        try {
-            return this.getDouble(index);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
             return defaultValue;
         }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return ((Number) val).doubleValue();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal((String) val).doubleValue();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the optional double value associated with an index. NaN is returned
+     * if there is no value for the index, or if the value is not a number and
+     * cannot be converted to a number.
+     *
+     * @param index
+     *            The index must be between 0 and length() - 1.
+     * @return The value.
+     */
+    public float optFloat(int index) {
+        return this.optFloat(index, Float.NaN);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the optional double value associated with an index. The defaultValue
+     * is returned if there is no value for the index, or if the value is not a
+     * number and cannot be converted to a number.
+     *
+     * @param index
+     *            subscript
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default value.
+     * @return The value.
+     */
+    public float optFloat(int index, float defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return ((Number) val).floatValue();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal((String) val).floatValue();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -550,11 +602,22 @@ public class JSONArray implements Iterable<Object> {
      * @return The value.
      */
     public int optInt(int index, int defaultValue) {
-        try {
-            return this.getInt(index);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
             return defaultValue;
         }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return ((Number) val).intValue();
+        }
+        
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal(val.toString()).intValue();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -615,8 +678,25 @@ public class JSONArray implements Iterable<Object> {
      * @return The value.
      */
     public BigInteger optBigInteger(int index, BigInteger defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigInteger){
+            return (BigInteger) val;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigDecimal){
+            return ((BigDecimal) val).toBigInteger();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Double || val instanceof Float){
+            return new BigDecimal(((Number) val).doubleValue()).toBigInteger();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Long || val instanceof Integer
+                || val instanceof Short || val instanceof Byte){
+            return BigInteger.valueOf(((Number) val).longValue());
+        }
         try {
-            return this.getBigInteger(index);
+            return new BigDecimal(val.toString()).toBigInteger();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             return defaultValue;
         }
@@ -634,8 +714,25 @@ public class JSONArray implements Iterable<Object> {
      * @return The value.
      */
     public BigDecimal optBigDecimal(int index, BigDecimal defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigDecimal){
+            return (BigDecimal) val;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigInteger){
+            return new BigDecimal((BigInteger) val);
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Double || val instanceof Float){
+            return new BigDecimal(((Number) val).doubleValue());
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Long || val instanceof Integer
+                || val instanceof Short || val instanceof Byte){
+            return new BigDecimal(((Number) val).longValue());
+        }
         try {
-            return this.getBigDecimal(index);
+            return new BigDecimal(val.toString());
         } catch (Exception e) {
             return defaultValue;
         }
@@ -693,11 +790,53 @@ public class JSONArray implements Iterable<Object> {
      * @return The value.
      */
     public long optLong(int index, long defaultValue) {
-        try {
-            return this.getLong(index);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
             return defaultValue;
         }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return ((Number) val).longValue();
+        }
+        
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal(val.toString()).longValue();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get an optional {@link Number} value associated with a key, or the default if there
+     * is no such key or if the value is not a number. If the value is a string,
+     * an attempt will be made to evaluate it as a number ({@link BigDecimal}). This method
+     * would be used in cases where type coercion of the number value is unwanted.
+     *
+     * @param index
+     *            The index must be between 0 and length() - 1.
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default.
+     * @return An object which is the value.
+     */
+    public Number optNumber(int index, Number defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(index);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return (Number) val;
+        }
+        
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal(val.toString());
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/JSONObject.java b/JSONObject.java
index 0557882..13ba48e 100644
--- a/JSONObject.java
+++ b/JSONObject.java
@@ -951,53 +951,6 @@ public class JSONObject {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Get an optional double associated with a key, or NaN if there is no such
-     * key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a string, an attempt
-     * will be made to evaluate it as a number.
-     *
-     * @param key
-     *            A string which is the key.
-     * @return An object which is the value.
-     */
-    public double optDouble(String key) {
-        return this.optDouble(key, Double.NaN);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Get an optional BigInteger associated with a key, or the defaultValue if
-     * there is no such key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a
-     * string, an attempt will be made to evaluate it as a number.
-     *
-     * @param key
-     *            A key string.
-     * @param defaultValue
-     *            The default.
-     * @return An object which is the value.
-     */
-    public BigInteger optBigInteger(String key, BigInteger defaultValue) {
-        Object val = this.opt(key);
-        if (NULL.equals(val)) {
-            return defaultValue;
-        }
-        if (val instanceof BigInteger){
-            return (BigInteger) val;
-        }
-        if (val instanceof BigDecimal){
-            return ((BigDecimal) val).toBigInteger();
-        }
-        try {
-            // the other opt functions handle implicit conversions, i.e. 
-            // jo.put("double",1.1d);
-            // jo.optInt("double"); -- will return 1, not an error
-            // this conversion to BigDecimal then to BigInteger is to maintain
-            // that type cast support that may truncate the decimal.
-            return new BigDecimal(val.toString()).toBigInteger();
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            return defaultValue;
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Get an optional BigDecimal associated with a key, or the defaultValue if
      * there is no such key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a
@@ -1034,6 +987,60 @@ public class JSONObject {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get an optional BigInteger associated with a key, or the defaultValue if
+     * there is no such key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a
+     * string, an attempt will be made to evaluate it as a number.
+     *
+     * @param key
+     *            A key string.
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default.
+     * @return An object which is the value.
+     */
+    public BigInteger optBigInteger(String key, BigInteger defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(key);
+        if (NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigInteger){
+            return (BigInteger) val;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof BigDecimal){
+            return ((BigDecimal) val).toBigInteger();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Double || val instanceof Float){
+            return new BigDecimal(((Number) val).doubleValue()).toBigInteger();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Long || val instanceof Integer
+                || val instanceof Short || val instanceof Byte){
+            return BigInteger.valueOf(((Number) val).longValue());
+        }
+        try {
+            // the other opt functions handle implicit conversions, i.e. 
+            // jo.put("double",1.1d);
+            // jo.optInt("double"); -- will return 1, not an error
+            // this conversion to BigDecimal then to BigInteger is to maintain
+            // that type cast support that may truncate the decimal.
+            return new BigDecimal(val.toString()).toBigInteger();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get an optional double associated with a key, or NaN if there is no such
+     * key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a string, an attempt
+     * will be made to evaluate it as a number.
+     *
+     * @param key
+     *            A string which is the key.
+     * @return An object which is the value.
+     */
+    public double optDouble(String key) {
+        return this.optDouble(key, Double.NaN);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get an optional double associated with a key, or the defaultValue if
      * there is no such key or if its value is not a number. If the value is a
@@ -1063,6 +1070,48 @@ public class JSONObject {
         return defaultValue;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the optional double value associated with an index. NaN is returned
+     * if there is no value for the index, or if the value is not a number and
+     * cannot be converted to a number.
+     *
+     * @param index
+     *            The index must be between 0 and length() - 1.
+     * @return The value.
+     */
+    public float optFloat(String key) {
+        return this.optFloat(key, Float.NaN);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the optional double value associated with an index. The defaultValue
+     * is returned if there is no value for the index, or if the value is not a
+     * number and cannot be converted to a number.
+     *
+     * @param index
+     *            subscript
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default value.
+     * @return The value.
+     */
+    public float optFloat(String key, float defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(key);
+        if (JSONObject.NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return ((Number) val).floatValue();
+        }
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal((String) val).floatValue();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get an optional int value associated with a key, or zero if there is no
      * such key or if the value is not a number. If the value is a string, an
@@ -1174,6 +1223,53 @@ public class JSONObject {
         }
         return defaultValue;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Get an optional {@link Number} value associated with a key, or <code>null</code>
+     * if there is no such key or if the value is not a number. If the value is a string,
+     * an attempt will be made to evaluate it as a number ({@link BigDecimal}). This method
+     * would be used in cases where type coercion of the number value is unwanted.
+     *
+     * @param key
+     *            A key string.
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default.
+     * @return An object which is the value.
+     */
+    public Number optNumber(String key) {
+        return this.optNumber(key, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get an optional {@link Number} value associated with a key, or the default if there
+     * is no such key or if the value is not a number. If the value is a string,
+     * an attempt will be made to evaluate it as a number ({@link BigDecimal}). This method
+     * would be used in cases where type coercion of the number value is unwanted.
+     *
+     * @param key
+     *            A key string.
+     * @param defaultValue
+     *            The default.
+     * @return An object which is the value.
+     */
+    public Number optNumber(String key, Number defaultValue) {
+        Object val = this.opt(key);
+        if (NULL.equals(val)) {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+        if (val instanceof Number){
+            return (Number) val;
+        }
+        
+        if (val instanceof String) {
+            try {
+                return new BigDecimal(val.toString());
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                return defaultValue;
+            }
+        }
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Get an optional string associated with a key. It returns an empty string