Help me Date this Hawthorn Hercules?
 

I bought this Hercules off CraigsList.

It has the Camelback frame, and the Birmingham badge, but I'm not sure what year it is. I would also like to find a replacement to the chainguard, which might be too rusty to restore, but first I really want to figure out the year.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/...9a98a05963.jpg

Any thoughts?

Anything from 1960 on is going to be Raleigh (technically Tube Industries), try to find a date code on something, maybe the rear hub.
That chainguard came on the AMF Hercules, which were Raleigh.

I have a serial number, but nothing that immediately tells me the date. I also found a photo of a 1964 in the same color, with the same chainguard, but not the Camelback frame.

But the badging says Birmingham, England, which implies that it's from before the merger?

I plead confusion.

Does the S-A rear hub have any numbers stamped on it, such as 64 8, or 58 6?

It's basically the same thing as a Raleigh Space Rider.

Here's a page from '78 (yours is certainly older though, judging by a number of things)
http://www.jaysmarine.com/TH_Raleigh_Cat_78_20_LG.jpg

Similar but I wouldn't say it's the same thing. On the Hercules the top tube arc is much more pronounced, the down tube is S shaped, and the seat stays are curved near the seat cluster. Also, IMO, the chain guard is a lot cooler on the Hercules.