VERY nice pictures of a VERY nice pistol, Tom. Great find.
I can think of a couple of valid reasons for the side plate to have a military style "last two digits" stamp on the side. An honest mistake that was simply allowed to pass. The unit's armorer, or possibly the officer it was issued to, found it easier to ID the proper side plate for reassembly by stamping the last two digits in the military style. Considering the uneven manner in which it was stamped, I favor the latter reason.
Thank you for sharing your good fortune.
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