Overview
Here's one you don't see every day. Or in fact ever! This Brazil-only Hammered Brass model appeared on Facebook for sale on the Brazilian site Nando Batera Shop in early April 2023. After managing to stop hyperventilating long enough to send him a message, owner Fernando Piccinini was kind enough to let me use his shots of this unicorn.
I still don't have any real back story on this model or its Phosphor Bronze sibling, apart from Fernando told me his good friend had bought the Phosphor Bronze from new in Brazil. If I do get any more information, I'll update this listing.
Note the chrome hardware rather than the black fittings of the standard Mapex model, and the badge which would appear to be exclusive to Brazil. Certainly I've not seen another snare with it, apart from its sibling. The closest match is the post 2004 Orion/Saturn Badges. Given that, and the early "Hammered by Mapex" badge, I'm guessing the production date is close to 2004, as the latter badge changed soon afterwards. That's just an educated guess though.
Since I have no idea if this was a production model, and I've only ever seen one, I'm calling it a unique until I get evidence to the contrary.
Photos courtesy of Fernando Piccinini of Nando Batera Shop. Muito obrigado Fernando!
