Allison Coupon Company
S1958
189[?] 
1 Folder

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Processed by: Lucinda Barnhart, November 2004

Organizational History:

Noah Allison founded the Allison Coupon Company in 1888.  In 1880, Noah Allison moved his family to Indianapolis, Indiana from South Bend, Indiana.  His desire to succeed in the business world led him to own and operate a coupon business.  The Allison Coupon Company sold prepaid coupon books that local merchants offered to their customers to ease credit problems that were prevalent in a number of businesses during the latter half of the nineteenth century.  Noah Allison’s main customers were coal mine company stores.

With the death of Noah Allison in 1890, his son, James Allison, took control of the family business and expanded their operations to include a variety of local and regional merchants.  While operating the coupon company, James Allison began inventing items such as new fountain pens and car headlights.  The Allison family retained control of the family business until it was sold in 1962 to Cummins Chicago, a manufacturer of document perforators that could personalize the payment books.

 Scope and Content Note:

The collection contains an Allison Coupon Company “Improved Credit Coupon Check Book” from 189[?] in the amount of $5.00.  There are fifteen pages of coupons in the denominations of:  $.25, $.05, $.02, and $.01. 

Item Listing:

 189[?].  Coupon book.

Collection Information:

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.