Detlef, I am more than prepared to accept that this keris originated with an abdi dalem.
I do not know the Ngayogyakarta situation, but I do know the Surakarta situation very well.
The people who occupy the position of adbi dalem in the karaton are a mix of people who are representative of the wider community. The work they do in the karaton is voluntary, and even when they rise to a high level in the hierarchy of the karaton the stipend that they receive is miniscule. Essentially, these are people who have strong traditional ties and commitments and who want to support the karaton and the continuation of Javanese tradition. In my experience, most of these people are most definitely not wealthy in the slightest degree.
In Solo there are always a number of abdi dalem, some of whom do have royal blood or impressive titles, who are amateur keris dealers. I can guarantee you that a visitor to the Karaton Surakarta who wants to buy a genuine old Majapahit era keris that has royal provenance will have not the slightest difficulty in acquiring one. All he needs to do is to let it be known. The seller will get hold of some degraded old keris from the alun-alun, or Pasar Triwindu, and present it with a story, and the deal is done. The keris will have come from the royal armory, or from some notable person, a certificate of authenticity will be arranged from some other abdi dalem at an inflated price.
Alternatively the keris might form a part of a multiple swapsi-changey deal where the seller has the opportunity to sell two or three items that progress in a chain resulting in eventual sale of the keris.
The Javanese people have had a very long time to develop the skills of manipulation for monetary reward. A thousand years ago they needed to manipulate their rulers in order to survive and prosper. Then the Dutch came along and they honed their skills on them. Then international tourism resulted in a flood of millionaires with their pockets full of money --- don't forget, we're all millionaires in the perception of people who have to live on less than $100 a month.
Probably the best way for a visitor to Jawa to look at a deal with a local is that he has made a contribution to the upkeep of a family for a few weeks or months. Its in the nature of a charitable donation.
But if the visitor is not willing to make a charitable donation, it is best that as a minimum he learn Bahasa Indonesia, and do some very serious study of the culture and society of Jawa before he visits.
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