Good call. Ron Boi seemed confident it was a clear coat without UV resistance and compared the look of it to some old Treks prone to UV damage he’d experienced in his shop. The previous owner apparently never built it up, but it’s clearly been well-ridden, so entirely possible a thin clear has worn through exposing a more easily damaged gold overcoat. All things considered, this is certainly an n+1 bike that will only come out for casual, clean road riding in beautiful weather, so I may try my luck with leaving it as is for now.