Images(2)

Token

Object number2015.42.39

Manufacturer M.E. Cunningham Company

OriginPittsburgh, PA

MediumMetal

Credit LineGift of Susan Muir

DescriptionRound gold-tone token. Raised dot at center on both sides; an arrow runs through the dot on one side. Raised rim. Raised text on both sides.Dimensions1.25 x 1.25 x 0.063 x 1.25 in. (3.2 x 3.2 x 0.2 x 3.2 cm)
InscriptionsRaised text on one side - runs vertically "YOU / PAY".
MarksRaised text relating to maker on one side:
"M.E. CUNNINGHAM CO. / WEDGE / GRIP / SAFETY / STAMPS / PITTSBURGH, PA."
Historical NotesPart of a collection of WWII-related artifacts from the military service of Gabe Torisky of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who served with the 99th “Checkerboard” Infantry Division during the Ardennes campaign in Belgium. Martin Gabriel "Gabe" Torisky was of Slovak ancestry and was born on November 11, 1911, in Uniontown, PA. He moved to Pittsburgh in the 1920s and was drafted and sent to 99th Division during World War II. The 99th Division is especially important in relation to Pittsburgh, as the Division was originally headquartered in the city in 1942, and the unit insignia, a black shield with a checkerboard band of nine alternating white and blue squares (for “99”) was derived from the coat of arms for William Pitt and thus, also the city seal of Pittsburgh, on which the checkerboard also appears. Donor Susan Muir is Gabe Torisky's daughter.

Previous owner Martin Gabriel Torisky (born 1911)

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