British popular finishes

[imatabor]

I picked up a silver colored Brithish "Popular" but the handle is mostly brass with very little plating left. The head is perfect though. I thought I read that these had different plating on the head and handle but can't see to find the thread.
What were the plating options on these?
While I have you, how rare are these?
One last thing. The razor has what I would call a dropped knob but reading around people seem to be saying that this is normal for them. I've seen it called "push to open". This doesn't seem right to me. Can anyone confirm any of this?

 

[MacDaddy]

I picked up a silver colored Brithish popular but the handle is mostly brass with very little plating left. The head is perfect though. I thought I read that these had different plating on the head and handle but can't see to find the thread.
What were the plating options on these?

Achim's got examples of the three different finishes I'm aware of:

While I have you, how rare are these?

Not extremely rare, but definitely not common either, the gold and black-handled versions being more uncommon. I'd say less common than the Senator.

One last thing. The razor has what I would call a dropped knob but reading around people seem to be saying that this is normal for them. I've seen it called "push to open". This doesn't seem right to me. Can anyone confirm any of this?

Definitely not normal. You might be reading someone who's confused the Popular with the later Rocket TTO mechanism. The Popular's knob ought to stay put inside the handle.

The Popular's doors may not flop open if you open the razor slowly while holding the head level, though, and that's normal. The legs on them lack the little nubs that automatically flip the doors out. The instructions and advertising seem to indicate that Gillette may have wanted people to spin the handle while holding the knob, which does automatically throw the doors open.

 

[imatabor]

Is the #47 silver or nickel?

 

[RaiserLiebe]

I believe it is rhodium.
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Numbered_British_Gillette_Information