According to Edith Reiter's 2014 book this instrument was completed in January 1934 and originally sold to a buyer in an unknown location. (Howe & Hurd, 2004 list it as having been completed on 2 January 1934 and sold to a buyer in Germany, a designation identical to that for heckelphone #4246.)
Howe & Hurd (2004) describe heckelphone #4244 as a model 36k. It had an f resonance key added by Heckel ca. 1960. In 2002, it was completely restored and converted to full conservatory system by renowned oboe maker, Thomas Hiniker of Rochester (MN), USA, who also added in articulated F#-G# mechanism; at the same time, it was gold plated, with one layer of copper strike, two layers of silver and three layers of gold.
As of 2004, heckelphone #4244 was reported to be located in Tokyo, Japan, owned by M. Tamba. Previously, it had been owned by noted heckelphone specialist, Peter Hurd of Bellingham (WA), USA, and by bassoonist Charles Gould of Los Angeles (CA), USA, who used it for the recordings of many movie soundtracks, including those of Spartacus (1960) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962).
Further details of the history of heckelphone #4244 remain unclear.