Matthews International Corporation Increases Quarterly Dividend

The Board of Directors of

Matthews International Corporation (Nasdaq: MATW) today declared a quarterly

dividend of $0.07 per share on the Company’s common stock. The quarterly

dividend has been increased one-half cent per share from $0.065 to $0.07. The

dividend is payable November 16, 2009 to stockholders of record November 2,

2009.

Joseph C. Bartolacci, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “Despite

the challenges of fiscal 2009, we continue to have confidence in our long-term

strategies. Accordingly, Matthews believes a modest increase in our dividend

is appropriate.” Mr. Bartolacci noted that this was the Corporation’s 15th

dividend increase since Matthews became a publicly traded stock in July 1994.

Matthews International Corporation, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,

is a designer, manufacturer and marketer principally of memorialization

products and brand solutions. Memorialization products consist primarily of

bronze memorials and other memorialization products, caskets and cremation

equipment for the cemetery and funeral home industries. Brand solutions

include graphics imaging products and services, marking products, and

merchandising solutions. The Company’s products and services include cast

bronze memorials and other memorialization products; caskets; cast and etched

architectural products; cremation equipment and cremation-related products;

mausoleums; brand management; printing plates and cylinders, pre-press

services and imaging services for the primary packaging and corrugated

industries; marking and coding equipment and consumables, and industrial

automation products for identifying, tracking and conveying various consumer

and industrial products, components and packaging containers; and

merchandising display systems and marketing and design services.

SOURCE: Matthews International Corporation

Steven F. Nicola, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary & Treasurer,

+1-412-442-8262