Closer inspection showed it to be roughly painted, possibly with a brush, in matt black and the description stating that it probably needed refinishing.
The asking price...........£160 with p&p.
I gave one away better than that a while back, guess I'll always be a pauper.
they're "Dragon scales" right!!! However, after some thought, I will accept "Black Marlin" or "Swordfish", but definitely not "Haddock" or "Cod".