The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I was looking at my reproducer stash today and noticed something I’d not seen before: red coloring worked into the engraved “MODEL-H 4 MINUTE” lettering on the tail weight of one of the H reproducers on hand. It’s subtle but I think it’s cool.

I know early H often have the green lacquer coating on them, but that’s not this. This one has a 6-digit s/n, just under 400,000. I have another H here that is in the low 300k and no trace of red letters.

Any clues or similar experiences?

Most likely someone polished it with red rouge.

There's always the chance it was done at the factory on the last model H's, or the original owner may have done it to be easier to read in low light ( candle or lamp light).
I know there's been times under certain conditions that I've had difficulties reading a tail weight and found it easier to flip them over to look at the stylus bar shape.

It's something I've never seen before, but after 42 yrs of collecting something I've learnt is never say never.