When my new factory Saints alternate helmet arrived, I reevaluated the gold helmet colors. I noticed six different shades of pocket helmets, as shown in the photo below. The photo below displays the helmets in chronological order, from left to right.

I had to estimate some of the dates. And even though the pocket helmet color changed, in some instances I could find no evidence the actual helmet color changed on sites like the Gridiron Uniform Database, which has the Saints wearing seven different shades of gold in 1967-72, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1978-98, 1988-99, 2000-11, and 2012-present. Other sources have different information and dates. I wish the Saints helmets over the years site had better photos to compare.

So, I created the list below. It’s likely not entirely representative of actual helmet colors, so I wouldn’t refer to this list as definitive. But, I believe it’s definitive for pocket size helmets. Zoom in on the photo below to see the different shades.

1. 1967-75: Old gold helmet, classic fleur de lis logo, grey facemask (traditional; this photo actually displays the 1968 version with the reversed stripes). This color and dates are confirmed.
2. 1976-99: Gold helmet, classic fleur de lis logo, black facemask (traditional). This is the most obvious color change. This color and dates are confirmed.
3. 2000-04: Light gold helmet, classic fleur de lis logo, black facemask (traditional). The color change here is subtle, but can be seen by zooming in. New Orleans did update the logo this year. So it makes sense the color would change as well. Research indicates the Saints kept this shade of gold until 2011. However, the Revolution style helmet, which entered into production around 2005, is noticeably different.
4. 2005-11: Metallic gold helmet, modern fleur de lis logo, black facemask (revolution). The revolution style helmet has a noticeably strong metallic colors.
5. 2012-14: Light metallic gold helmet, Metallic Gold, modern fleur de lis logo, black facemask (revolution). The Saints did change the shade of gold in 2012. And most claim that the color has remained consistent to this day. However, the newer revolution helmet is lighter and closer to the pre-2011 revolution helmet color than the contemporary speed gold helmet. I estimated the dates.
6. 2015-present: Antique gold, modern fleur de lis logo, black facemask. This matches the contemporary color. Again, the date is an estimate based on the year Riddell started manufacturing helmets in the speed style.