Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Earnings Per Share Attributable to Matthews' Shareholders (Details)

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Earnings Per Share Attributable to Matthews' Shareholders (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Jun. 30, 2011
Jun. 30, 2012
Jun. 30, 2011
Earnings per share attributable to Matthews' shareholders        
Net income attributable to Matthews shareholders $ 16,325 $ 21,875 $ 42,868 $ 51,676
Less: dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities 235 447 677 1,000
Net income available to Matthews shareholders $ 16,090 $ 21,428 $ 42,191 $ 50,676
Weighted-average shares outstanding (in thousands):        
Basic shares (in shares) 27,749,000 28,849,000 27,865,000 28,945,000
Effect of dilutive securities:        
Stock options (in shares) 6,000 17,000 8,000 18,000
Restricted shares (in shares) 16,000 0 60,000 0
Phantom stock units (in shares) 15,000 15,000 15,000 18,000
Diluted shares (in shares) 27,786,000 28,881,000 27,948,000 28,981,000
Stock Options [Member]
        
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]        
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share (in shares) 783,092 287,535 785,475 292,968