28-early29 steering wheel - maybe?

[pgerhardt]

I may have acquired a very nice 28-early29 steering wheel (picture 1). It was advertised on E-bay as a "nice model A steering wheel painted with primer. Well it did not look like primer to me, so I bid on it and got it for under $40. It arrived today and I took a very small sample in an inconspicuous spot (picture 2) to see if the red/brown color was only skin deep. Nope red/brown through and through! I have two questions:

1. Is there anything I can look for to determine whether this is an original red/brown steering wheel or an old repop?
2. Before I install it in my 29 tudor, (The engine/frame number of my tudor dates it to January 1929. So I can get away with using a "red wheel".) do you have any suggestions on a finish I could apply to it to preserve it and prevent red transfer to my hands?

Thanks in advance