Roland, yes - the matte and speckled appearance of the finish had me thinking the same thing, but I still think it could be the lighting and camera sensor.
John, if you're near another LugerForum member that has experience judging finish, you might try and get a first hand evaluation in person. It makes about a 40-50% difference in the value of the pistol.
As to the provenance (veteran to pawn shop to 20 year owner to you), we have a saying, "Believe the gun not the story"... This is where capture papers and the databases we maintain help.
Marc
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 Igitur si vis pacem, para bellum -
- Therefore if you want peace, prepare for war.
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