The gate plaque color is a moot point. They will always oxidize and change back to green. Photos show that it only took a few weeks for them to go from gold to brown when they were firat put up. They polished them to a brass finish a few years ago but again, they change back to the green patina we see now. Of course they knew the color would change.

BTW, I'm not a purist. There are changes that I like and others I don't. We have to accept change even if it isn't always for the better.