black paint Nikon RF - film back finish

[menos]

There is currently a black paint Nikon S3 on the auction site:

351813556665

(I have no affiliation nor desire to buy this but I am very curious about the details).

This film back looks like a silver chrome back, repainted.
Where such backs made at the factory or where these painted black on brass as the body panels?

Are there variations in specs with the black paint issued Nikon RF bodies or were these fairly consistent in details over each model?

Oh and yes, I know I will for sure have to find a copy of Robert Rotoloni's Nikon RF book, no doubt.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Olympic numbers start at 6320001 to 6322579, Robert says may be higher (2,000 were made for sale but numbers don't match as the gaps are due to QC failures, usually)
That pressure plate looks a right mess.
My Olympic ASA speed is max 400 not 1600.I think the BP SP had ASA to 1600 ( the re-issues had iso and lacked the red "colour film" arrow).
My Olympic back has none of the patent numbers impressed as that one does.
The back looks OK paint wise, the usual give away are the rivets, in a repaint they are black or have been black and the paint removed from them, the original has rivets that are chrome and must have been inserted post painting.

Near mint ??????

This does not fit into the BP S3 series of numbers in Robert's book, I suspect it is a re-paint body with a genuine BP back from another camera, that was done as the back is the give-away in re-paints, it is not an Olympic S3 nor an original S3 BP IMHO.
Added note: The self timer lever is wrong for an Olympic, it came from the F parts bin( that could be the photo). The wind lever is correct for Olympic as are the Titanium shutters, (Cloth on BP S3) you will need someone more experienced than me to say exactly what this is!!

 

[menos]

So there is a lot more to the black paint Nikons than meets the eye - looks like it is a mirror image of what is happening with black paint Leica M gear :-(

And about that "mint" word - eBay culture has perfectly accomplished to completely devalue that very word to the effect that whenever I read "mint" in a description, there is an immediate shadow of doubt about the real condition of the product for sale - it adds a negative taste on the article description for me.

 

[Fraser]

Looks to me more like an original black s3 with a replacement repainted back. As for the price that's really expensive for a Olympic s3 it's the kind of price you should be paying for a mint one with the original 50mm.