A comparison of the surface structure and the cyclic voltammograms of a Au(100) single crystal surface after various non-UHV preparation techniques has been made. Comparisons were made between two flaming temperatures, above and below the annealing transition temperature, and two cooling methods (air and water quenching). A chemical cleaning method was also used as a standard for the flame results. None of the preparation techniques produced a (5 X 20) reconstruction as measured by surface X-ray diffraction. The high temperature annealing produced the smoothest surface; however, the bulk mosaics, as measured by the full width at half maximum of the (0, 0, 2) reflection, were increased. Upon immersion in 0.1 M HClO4 at +0.4 V/SCE asymmetry in the (0, 0, l) specular rod associated with the (5 X 20) reconstruction was observed. The increased mosaics associated with an increase in the surface defects resulted in the growth of the oxidation peak at +0.95 V/SCE in the cyclic voltammogram.