According to Edith Reiter's 2014 book this instrument was completed on 1 November 1981 and originally sold to a buyer in Germany.
Howe & Hurd (2004) describe heckelphone #4980 as a model 36 voll cons. It has a rarely seen black finish.
As of 2021, heckelphone #4980 was reported to be located in Stuttgart, Germany, owned by the Staatstheater Stuttgart.
Further details on the history of heckelphone #4980 remain unclear, but it is not unlikely that the Staatstheater Stuttgart purchased this instrument directly from Heckel.