Where did coupons come from?

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Confessions of a Couponer
Author(s): 
Farin Montanez

Ah, coupons. I don’t know what my budget would look like without them.

But where did these little money-saving pieces of joy come from?

To find out, I turned to Wikipedia. (I’m no Bill Coate.)

Apparently, Coca-Cola started the trend back in 1887, a century before I was born. Partner Asa Candler advertised the new soda by mailing potential customers coupons to try a free one...