The first bent-wire paper clip was patented in 1867 by Samuel B. Fay in the United States.

Quick Scoop: Key Dates

  • 1867 – First patent: Samuel B. Fay received U.S. patent 64,088 on April 23, 1867, for a bent-wire “ticket fastener” that the patent also notes could hold papers together.
  • 1877 – Another early clip: Erlman J. Wright patented a different wire clip in 1877, advertised specifically for fastening loose papers and periodicals.
  • 1890s – Modern style emerges: The now-familiar Gem-style paper clip, with its double loop, was in production by the early 1890s, though the clip itself was never patented.
  • 1899 – Gem machine patent: William Middlebrook patented a machine for making Gem-type paper clips in 1899, showing that the modern form was fully established by then.

So, “When Were Paper Clips Invented”?

If someone asks “when were paper clips invented,” there are two reasonable answers, depending on what is meant:

  • First bent-wire paper clip (in general): 1867, with Fay’s patent.
  • Modern Gem-style paper clip (the one on your desk): widely in use by the 1890s and clearly established by 1899.

Over time, dozens of other designs were patented, but none displaced the simple Gem clip that is still standard today.

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