There's a very minute chance that it was intended to be gold. The device itself is made of silver, and there is what appears to be the faintest hint of gold coloration in that bit of metal between the crown and the swords. I'm almost positive that's patina however, as there's none of that color present anywhere else on the device. There's a lot of wear on the bar, but I would expect to see some remnant of that color on the sides of the device. --Chris