The pre-1920 Heddon

 lure and box

    HEDDON BOX NUMBERS

 

Knowledge for Advanced Collectors of Heddon and Shakespeare

FULL SITE INDEX & ARTICLES 

One of the most difficult problems for early wood Heddon fishing lure collectors is to determine what color was made and when, which helps define the date and version of the lure is rare, more, rare, or common.  These charts will help a collector make decision about just how 'rare' any give color is for the lures discussed.

Heddon Color Rarity Chart - Page 1: for selected lures

By Dr. Michael Echols

 

 Chart copyrighted 1997

Page One

100 (Early versions)

100 (Later versions)

150 (Early versions)

150 (Later versions)

175 Heavy casting Minnow

20 Midget U.W. Minnow

700 Muskollonge

Page Two

3000 Spindiver

260 Surface Minny

300 Musky "Surfusser"

350 Musky Surface Min.

400 Bucktail new surf. Min.

40 Walton Feather

50 Artistic Minnow

Across the top of the chart are selected lures with model number and below is the color in which they were made as marked by an "rarity number".  Best viewed when printed out on paper. This is copyrighted information by which was provided by Wade Holt, and is not for use on other Web sites nor is it to be reproduced or used other than for your personal use.   Obviously, knowing what is rare and what is not is a great advantage when buying or selling lures.  The list of colors on the left side of the chart are some of the production colors made by Heddon.   If you want to know what a number on the end of the box means, this is the information that explains that code.

The number for the rarity is indicative that the color exists and the rarity is the opinion of a knowledgeable lure collector...Wade Holt.  Since this chart was done in 1997, the relative rarity of some pieces may have changed due to recent discoveries via the internet.

0=extremely rare   1=rare     2=semi-rare     3=common

Color No.

Description of colors

100 (Early versions)

100 (Later versions)

150 (Early versions)

150 (Later versions)

175 Heavy casting Minnow

20 Midget U.W. Minnow

700 Musk-ollonge

 

Model numbers:

100

100

150

150

175

20

700

0

Green crackle back, fancy green back, white belly (GCB)

3

3

3

3

3

3

0S

White body, green and red spots

1

1

0

White body, narrow green back stripe, red blended spots

1

Rainbow, green back, pink and yellow sides, white belly

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

2

(old) All white, blended white, or slate back with white belly

2

3

2

3

3

2

2

2

(new) White body, red head (RH)

2

2

3

3

2RET

White body, red eyes, tail

2

2

2

2M

White body, red gills (used on salmon plugs)

2 LUM

White luminous body, red eyes and tail

3

Aluminum (also silver body with green back)

0

1

1

0

0

4

All Red body

0

3

0

2

0

0

0

Red, dark green blended back

3

3

3

3

Red, with dark red back?

3

3

5

Yellow body, red & green spots, green back

1

1

Yellow body, narrow green back stripe, red blended spots

All copper

0

0

0

0

6

Gold

0

0

0

0

0

Gold body, greenish cast back

2

2

6

Rainbow, grn back, orag & yelw. horiz. stripes, white belly

3

3

3

3

3

3

7

(old) Fancy Sienna (brown & yellow crackle back)

2

1

2

1

2

7

(new) White body, slate back (see old 2)

2

2

2

2

1

2

2

8

White body, gold specks (flitter)

1

2

1

2

1

Yellow body, brown & red spots

Yellow body, green & black spots

1

1

0

Plain green back, white belly

0

0

0

0

Red body, black spots

Yellow body , fancy mottled back

1

1

Black sucker (used on 1300 only)

0

0

9

White body, silver specks (flitter)

1

2

1

2

1

1

1

9A

Yellow perch, yellow, orng & dark grn slanted stripes

2

2

2

2

0

2

9B

Green spotted frog, also called frog coloration

0

3

3

0

1

9BB

Meadow frog

1

1

9BF

Bull frog (new in 1928)

3

3

9BK

Brook trout

9BP

Blue Pearl

9BW

Black & White crab

9BWH

Black body, white head

0

0

0

9C

Natural crab (used on Crab Wigglers)

0

9D

Green scale (new in 1917), first scale finish by Heddon

3

3

3

0

9E

White body, greenish black spots

0

0

0

9F

Yellow body, black head

0

0

G

Black

0

0

9G

All black

9H

Red scale (new in 1919)

1

1

0

9J

Frog scale

2

1,2

1

1

9K

Gold fish scale

2

2

9L

Yellow perch scale

2

2

2

9LD

Light green scale

9M

Pike scale (new in 1921) green

1

2

0

9MRH

Pike scale body, red head

1

1

9N

Red Dace scale

1

1

9P

Shiner scale

3

3

1

3

9PAS

Stripey, Shiner scale back, red head & body stripe

1

1

9PBH

Blue Herring scale

9PG

Golden shiner

9PL

Pearl

0

0

0

9PLB

Blue pearl

9PRH

Shiner scale body, red head

1

1

1

9R

(old) Natural scale

2

1

1

9Sh

Silver herring

9 SPRH

Spotted body, red head

9SS

Silver scale (silver flash)

1

1

1

9T

Dark green back, gold specks

1

1

9V

Orange body, black spots (also 9SO)

1

1

1

9W

All white (see 2)

1

1

1

1

1

9?

Blue scale

0

0

9Y

All yellow

1

1

1

1

1

0

9YBS

Yellow body, black stripes

0

0

0

9YF

Yellow body, flitter

9YRH

Yellow body, red head

9YS

Yellow scale

9Y?B

Yellow body, black back

Yellow body, fancy mottled back

2

2

0

Yellow body, Seinna crackled skull cap

RH

White body, red head, red collar

White body, red head, red tail

3

3

0

3

1

White body, yellow head

Trouted

Yellow body, with red green and black spotted effect

0

Trouted

White body, with red, green, and yellow spotted effect

0

Trouted

Yellow body, with red green, and yellow spotted effect

0

Trouted

Red body, with black decorations

Trouted

White body, with red, green decorations

Trouted

Yellow body, with red, green and black decorations

Yellow body, with red, green and brown spots

9B

Frog color

2

2

2

BH

White body, blue head

Click here to continue to the next page of colors

 

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A FULL TOPICAL INDEX FOR ANTIQUELURES

A LIST OF ALL EARLY FISHING LURES IN THIS COLLECTION