About Green Stamps

S&H Green Stamps Booklet

Sperry & Hutchinson (S&H) Green Stamps were created in 1896 as a loyalty rewards program for retailers and their customers. After a transaction, stamps were issued from the business to the customer, correlating with the dollar amount of their purchase. Stamps were placed in a booklet; a full booklet could be used to select a free product from the green stamp catalogue.

S&H stamps reached the height of their popularity between the 1930s and 1980s. In 1972, charitable causes were significantly less agile in raising funds than they are today. Yet, creativity and community spirit could still prevail.

Green Stamp Closeup

For Marie Mulligan of Made It!, totally paralyzed by polio, the only way to leave the house was in a vehicle large enough to contain a hospital bed. Her friends and family hoped to help her achieve this dream. The citizens of East Providence, Rhode Island, initiated a green stamp drive that eventually spread throughout the US and Great Britain.

Within a year, 7,000 books of green stamps, as well as some cash, were collected on her behalf. Marie was able to purchase a 27-foot Winnebago from the S&H catalogue.

Learn how to redeem Green Stamps.