[ithacaartist]

Welcome to the forum, Cedric. Perhaps some light may be shed on your pistol's origins.

You do not list your locale, nor where it was purchased new by your uncle, but the clue about the engraved date--"Spanish,not German"--makes me want to guess Germany. In one respect this would be appropriate, if it were purchased in the U.S. it would have displayed "Germany" somewhere, as the country of origin would have been stamped for import here.

So, it's a M1900 Commercial which seems to be in very good condition! The "#17228" on the barrel would be the old style of marking its bore diameter. Be sure to at least rub it down with a bit of oil to maintain the finish. There is a data base of commercial serial numbers on the site, and yours has not likely been reported yet, due to the history you've given for it. We cannot tell from the pic, but if it has an early commercial magazine, its follower button will be distinctive, and the mag itself very desirable.

You possess a fine heirloom which embodies a bit of history and quite a bit of value due to its condition. I would be proud to have a pistol like this!