Identifying Shakespeare Lures

Early Shakespeare lures come with distinctive props.  In the top row are the earliest  'A' and 'B' props c.1904-1910.  In the next row are the later 'plain' and 'marked' props which date from c.1910 to 1925.

Shakespeare hardware is also distinctive because you can look from one side of the lure to the other through the 'see-through' hardware hole.  It's one of the very few lures with this feature.  

(Figure 1) Early c. 1904 hardware with 'gem-clip' has an attachment  through the eye of the hook  which is vertical to the long axis of the lure.  Note the small glass eye with the tiny pupil and 'egg-yolk' color to the eye, the gills are thin and 'sweep' up between the cup and the eye.  The forehead is more peaked and referred to as "high-forehead".

(Figure 2) Later c. 1912 hardware with the 'flat-plate' attachment  through the eye of the hook is horizontal to the long axis of the lure.  Note the glass eye has changed with a larger pupil, and the gill marks are thicker and shorter.  The forehead is more rounded.

     Yellow Rhodes minnow            Yellow Shakespeare minnow