In replying to Andy Taylor's post -- am I the only one who noted Andy's
statement, "the paint is not gold, rather it's a dull bluish-green that
is commonly seen in most pre-1910 uprights?"

It would be interesting to know if this paint/dye comes off easily or
not.  The bronzing powder/shellac solution used on most plates typically
comes off with Windex.  I've seen the color Andy mentions, its almost
like a very dark turquoise.  My first inclination would be to try and
determine what the original process was, and to try to replicate that.
Barring that, I'd try to get as close a match with paint as I could,
and go from there.

Bryan Cather
Saint Louis, Missouri