Bernhard Bendel and Henry Duffy were proprietors of the Empire Match Company of San Francisco in December of 1874, when the first one-cent stamps were issued for B. Bendel & Company Match Factory. The company changed management several times, and was being managed from Bendel's estate when the last of the stamps were issued in December of 1880. 2,610,950 were printed on silk paper and 220,500 on watermarked paper. The copy shown is on silk paper.

This large stamp was issued to be used on packages of 1,200 matches. It was issued from October, 1874 to October of 1876. 472,907 were issued, all on silk paper.

Hofen & Company took over management of the Empire Match Company in the early 1880's. New stamps were issued under the name "H. Bendel doing business as B. Bendel & Company Match Factory," though it is not apparent who H. Bendel was. The one-cent stamp was issued from June of 1877 to mid-April, 1883. If the issue dates given are correct, these were issued at the same time as the B. Bendel one-cent stamps, which does not make much sense. 37,315,198 were issued on silk, pink and watermarked papers. The copy above is on watermarked paper.

The stamps for 1,200 match packs were also changed to incorporate the tiny words "H. Bendel doing business as" in place of the hand with a torch in the center design. These stamps were issued from June of 1877 to December of 1879. 100,826 were issued on silk paper.

A plate proof of the H. Bendel one-cent stamp on India paper.>