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Up for sale or purchase is a rare piece of American manufacturing history: an original antique late-1800s Superior Round Matches box manufactured by William Gates\' Sons in Frankfort, Herkimer County, New York.
William Gates was one of the early pioneers of the American match industry. In 1881, William Gates\' Sons merged with several other regional manufacturers to form the historic Diamond Match Co. Because this box bears the original family company name and the Frankfort location, it can be reliably dated to prior to the 1881 consolidation.
The label graphics feature beautiful, rustic typography reading \"Superior Round Matches - None Better - William Gates\' Sons, Frankfort, Herkimer Co., N.Y.\"
This is a fantastic addition for collectors of early Americana, advertising ephemeras, or vintage tobacciana and matchboxes.
