Walt - I tried your pencil eraser trick and I now have a beautiful gold duck on the trigger plate! Also, to my complete surprise, I removed the trigger bow and the butt stock is serial numbered to the gun. The checkering on the stock isn't elaborate enough, in my opinion, to complement such a high grade gun, which is why I didn't think it was origiinal. Do you think it could have been replaced at Ithaca at a later date? The numbering looks factory.