The medal was being sold as an Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 4th Class, at an antiques auction in Bonn, Germany, with an opening price of €400, Eesti Ekspress reported.

The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk) is the highest recognition awarded to foreign nationals for services rendered to the Estonian state, and a total of 309 people have received the 4th Class.

One notable recipient of The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 4th Class, is British musician and composer Robert Fripp, most famous as guitarist of prog-rock legends King Crimson.

While sale and purchase of state decorations is prohibited in Estonia itself, with the relevant legislation providing for penalty fines, in Germany, as in many other countries, sales and auctions are perfectly legal, and often take place when their holder has passed away, with family members doing the selling.

In the current case, photos published on the Von Zengen auction house website show a silver cross in a white box bearing Estonia's coat of arms — the same type of box used by the president when presenting state decorations, while the medal bears the serial number 230 — each state decoration has a tiny engraved serial number on its edge.

However Kadriorg spokesperson Epp-Mare Kukemelk told Eesti Ekspres no Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 4th Class, has ever been issued with serial number 230, and in fact this serial number pertains to a 5th class medal.

Records show the decoration with serial number 230 was awarded in 2001, to Eszter Villanyi, founder of the Hungarian-Estonian Society.

However a rosette on a blue ribbon as displayed in the auction photos denotes a 4th Class Cross of Terra Mariana decoration, leading to questions over the medal's authenticity.

State decorations are presented by the head of state ahead of Independence Day, in February.

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