Purchased a Rouble described at 1732, when it arrived, there was no date at all. The photo wasn't great but took them at their word. In order to see if even a professional with technology could see a date, it was sent to NGC. Came back illegible date. I note the seller also admitted giving it a date which was rarer than other near dates. Long and short was, I paid 391 Euros plus shipping and after returning the coin they paid me 291 Euros. I suggest you avoid this Auctioneer. Birbyniu str. 4 VILNIUS LT-02121 LITHUANIA VAT Code: LT100003147315 E-mail: info@numisbalt.com Internet: numisbalt.com
They were the only auction house that refused my bids, which was a bit of a shock considering my references. I guess i was lucky in the end! I too suspect a few auction houses for artificially inflating the prices!
It happens eBay all the time. Years a ago a dealer asked me to bid on lots he was offering on the site. “You don’t have to pay for it if you win,” he told me. I told him I won’t do it. There is really nothing eBay can do to prevent this, but it shows how games are played.
It's called shill bidding and crooked sellers have been doing it on eBay for years. It's against eBay rules but sellers get away with it.