[wterrell]

The wooden bottom magazines are valuable for several reasons:
1. they may be stamped to accommodate pistols that are missing the correct magazine;
2. they may be stamped as the extra mag issued to a pistol;
3. you do not have to remove an old number to modify it to a desired number;
4. because of their utility, they are becoming more scarce (non-renewable resource).
Very versatile little magazines, these!

Some have gone for $400.