In 1994, Nikon produced a very limited edition of FM2 Titanium to commemorate the Year of the Dog. It states on the box that a total of only 300 units were made. The serial numbers start from No.9400001. My camera illustrated here is the 11th ever made. The highest serial number goes beyond 9400300. I have seen with my own eyes a boxed example with serial No.940031x. I don't believe Nikon would lie to us when it says, "300 pcs limited products" on the box. They might have reserved some top plates as replacement parts. It was also possible that some "unlucky numbers" had been deliberately skipped because those cameras probably would not be very popular for Chinese people. Those are only my theories. If you know or can come up with a better explanation, I am all ears.
 
A dog nicely engraved on the front. The 11th FM2/T Year of the Dog

The sticker states the total production of only 300 units (Left).

   
       
 
  The serial number on the box (Above).  
           

I bought this camera from a dealer who was the only importer of this model in Hong Kong. They imported quite a number of these cameras from Taiwan and sold them all out. I was told most of the buyers were tourists, mainly sharp-eyed Japanese collectors. Knowing its potential value in the years to come, some people would even buy more than one unit at a time. As a collector, I naturally asked for an early serial number. I thought I was fairly lucky to get this No.9400011. Two days later, the shop told me the No.9400010 showed up! I thought about it for a couple of days and finally decided to dip deeper into my pocket. I went back to the shop but only to find out it had been sold already! I really regretted missing this opportunity of a lifetime to acquire two early consecutive numbers of this rare camera.

I once chatted with the boss of that camera shop about this camera. He told me it was apparently a special order from Nikon Taiwan, mainly for regional markets. That 's why all the cameras seemed to have come from Taiwan. It also explains why this camera was virtually unknown to most western collectors. Not even mighty Peter Braczko mentioned about this camera in his books. If you look at the other commemorative models like Gold FA, F2 25th Anniversary, F5 50th Anniversary, FM2 Year of the Dragon, they were all presented with dedicated box set and had a sizable production of 2,000 units or more. By comparison, the FM2/T Year of the Dog "package" doesn't look like a serious attempt at all. Its box (save the sticker), user manual and accessories are just the same as the ordinary FM2/T's. Nevertheless, this is still a VERY RARE and beautiful camera. In fact, I prefer it this way. I really cannot bring myself to buy one of those Anniversary models. Those special box set with velvet lining, dedicated neck strap and personal certificate just make those cameras far too commercial and too gimmicky to me.