I don't know much about commemoratives, but I did a little searching online and in my books. The closest thing I can find is in a book by Dennis Adler,
Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas, page 114, showing the American Historical Foundation Colt 3rd Model Dragoon introduced in March 1993. These were apparently produced in pairs, one blued "Union" model and one silver-gray antique "Confederate." Rock Island Arms auctioned off a set of them in 2011, but you can still view them on the RIA website:
Two Boxed Colt Dragoons
I see some differences, though. The revolvers illustrated in Adler's book and the ones on the RIA website have a lot of gold overlay, which I don't see on yours. However, the engraving patterns seem identical. The RIA "Union" revolver is marked "
ONE OF FIFTY." I'm guessing these were very limited editions promoted and sold as a pair, but maybe the group of 250 (including yours) were offered as singles with less expensive decoration. That is speculation on my part.
Italian guns generally have a date code marked on them someplace. Look for a little box with Roman numerals or two upper-case letters:
If your revolver was made in 1993, as Mr. Adler indicated, you would find a box with BC in it. The PN that you see marked on the frame is not a date code, but is one of the Italian proofmarks. The PN stands for
polvera negra, or "black powder."
I hope this helps. Tracking down the histories on commemorative guns can lead you into a very deep rabbit hole. As Alice said, "
Well, I can’t put it any more clearly, sir, for it isn't clear to me."
Notchy Bob
