As far as I know, many Vopo 08 were captured Russian guns that were given to arm the Vopo, those have the Russian X on it. The absence of the X is most likely indicating an East German rework. The Deutsche Volkspolizei was not the only armed unit is the GDR. The DVdI (Deutsche Verwaltung des Innern) issued the first "Dienstvorschrift: Die Pistolen der Polizei" in 1949 naming nine 9mm and 25 other pistols. Since the P.08 had been the serive pistol of the recently lost war, most men were familiar with it and there were enough guns and parts around to arm the police, Betriebskampfgruppen (workers brigades) and the Grenztruppen (border guards).
There are P08s with various other markings than the Vopo starburst with the inspector's mark inside, the plainclothe police units of the "Kripo Dresden" for instance.
The guns were usually repaired at local Waffenmeistereien for smaller problems and sent to Suhl for major repair, that is were they got new barrels and were usually proofed, crown N for final proof, Crown U for inspection after final proof, crown R for "Instandsetzungsbeschuß" after a repair. The stamp with three of four digits is the date of proofing; 753 for July 1953.
All this info is taken from the German Visier magazine 9/1991 that has a special on Vopo guns.
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