Thank you John for your fuller reply. One of the reports I did read was this from 2007, on a Taiwanese made frame: "Our test bike came in matt green, with military-style stencilled logos. But it's not as tough as the gloss black version, having flaked and chipped in a few places." So, not such an old report, and presumably powder coating. Unfortunately, what they say is vague, with no specifics, and left to the imagination - is it on the dropouts? the frame? the forks? - they don't say. Is it a big flake, or tiny? No mention - poor reviewing really.