Super Ace,Royal Ace, Hi Fi and very early 2000 were all chrome over brass.

Vast majority of 2000's and later Hi-Fi are aluminium

A magnet is the easiest way to tell the difference between aluminium and steel

There are also some COB Olympics about

I think the 10 lug COB Hi-Fi are the pick, they have a regular strainer set-up rather than the parallel action strainers of the Ace/2000's. The later aluminium Hi-Fi's are 8 lug also

Thanks guys, I was aware of magnet test, I should've been clearer, I meant any ways to tell via photograph.

I feel like a lot of different Premier snares look pretty much the same in photographs . . .

You can tell by a combination the lugs / throw-off/ badge/ hoops etc

another option is the Premier 35 or Beverley Cosmic 21. The are essentially the same drum with different badges. The American marketed 35 even has the Beverley lugs. These are a very good copy of the Supraphonic (10 lug, beaded aluminum shell) but I'm pretty sure they are 5 1/2" deep.

As dukekamaya points out, the 2000 is nearly always aluminum. Steel came very late in production and the badge will probably be the best way to tell. Lack of any chrome pitting on the shell is also a good indicator. The COB version is very rare and has the 60s badge and the earlier beer barrel hoops

so "Lack of chrome pitting" would be an indicator of steel right? Pitting is worse on Aluminum I think (based on Supras)

that's correct. A 2000 with zero pitting is either rare or steel or COB

Thank you!

Hello,

Be careful: I often heard, that the Prem 2000 Alu is sound-wise equal or even better than any Supras, etc. ... :D

I LOVE my Prem 2000 with Aluminium shell and very, very few pitting. It is my absolute #1 snare.

If you look for such examples: they are still there, but you'll pay more than the average (say: EUR >> 150) for such a snare drum.

Cheers, Ralf