We have studied the evolution of the surface topography of neon‐bombarded gold films, from the initial stages of sputter damage to the removal of several layers. Energy‐dependent sputter yields and crater size distributions are derived from scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images which show the progressing surface erosion. A surprising duality in the behavior of surfaces prepared by deposition of atoms (growth) and ‘‘deposition of vacancies’’ (erosion) is revealed.