when was the paperclip invented

The first recognizable paperclip was patented in 1867.

Quick Scoop

• 1867 – “First” paperclip patent: Samuel B. Fay in the United States received the first patent for a bent wire clip, mainly to attach tickets to fabric, though the patent also noted it could hold papers.

• Late 1800s – More designs: Other inventors, like Erlman J. Wright in 1877, patented alternative wire clips for fastening newspapers and papers.

• 1899 – Johan Vaaler’s clip: Norwegian inventor Johan Vaaler patented his own paperclip design in Germany and the U.S. in 1899, often (incorrectly) cited as the original modern paperclip.

• Early 1900s – The “Gem” we use today: The now-standard double-oval Gem paperclip design emerged in England and became popular worldwide; it was never actually patented but was mass-produced and standardized by Gem Manufacturing.

So if you’re answering “when was the paperclip invented,” the historically grounded short answer is 1867 , with Fay’s bent-wire clip considered the first patented ancestor of the modern paperclip.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.