By: HISTORY.com Editors

1849

Safety pin is patented, rights sold for just $400

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: April 09, 2024Last Updated: May 27, 2025

On April 10, 1849, Walter Hunt—a mechanic and independent inventor from New York—patents his metal invention with a spring called the safety pin. Although later businessmen would make a fortune selling the ubiquitous devices, Hunt sells rights to it for just $400 and never earns anything else.

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Born on July 29, 1796, in Martinsburg, New York, Hunt came up with the idea when he owed someone a $15 debt, and he scrambled to invent something that would earn him some money. He twisted a piece of metal wire and turned it into what he called a “dress pin,” which had a spring at one end that forced the other end into a clasp. Hunt’s invention wasn’t completely new, as ancient Romans used something similar for jewelry; his was an improvement. Another version of a safety pin came out in 1842, but it had no spring, unlike the pins we know today. Hunt’s invention, which got U.S. Patent No. 6,281, has countless everyday uses, including fastening clothing and diapers.

Hunt achieved moderate success in life and invented many items, including a repeating rifle, a flax spinner, a fountain pen, a knife sharpener, an ice plough and one of the world’s first sewing machines with an eye-pointed needle; Hunt’s sewing machine triggered a patent dispute with another inventor, Elias Howe. Hunt died on June 8, 1859, at age 63.

Take a closer look at the inventions that have transformed our lives far beyond our homes (the steam engine), our planet (the telescope), and our wildest dreams (the Internet).

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Citation Information

Article Title: Safety pin is patented, rights sold for just $400
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/april-10/safety-pin-patented-walter-hunt

Date Accessed: April 22, 2026
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: May 27, 2025
Original Published Date: April 09, 2024