Q. David Bowers
By Hans M. F. Schulman
We lived in the same community, just north of New York, Abe and I, in Mount Vernon. We saw a lot of each other. I used to play the piano in Abe's house. The best listener was Sandra, his daughter, now called Sonnie Frowein. She was then Five years old and she was my best friend. Molly, Abe's wonderful wife, invited me often. When Abe took Abner Kreisberg as his partner, we became like the three musketeers. I was very disappointed when they left for California. California was not the U.S.A., but New York which I liked was, in my opinion. I had only immigrated in 1939. I was in no mood to join them in California, which seemed to me the other end of the world, but Abe and I kept in close contact.
We lived in the same community, just north of New York, Abe and I, in Mount Vernon. We saw a lot of each other. I used to play the piano in Abe's house. The best listener was Sandra, his in daughter, now called Sonnie Frowein. She was daughter, now called Sonnie Frowein. She was then Five years old and she was my best friend. Molly, Abe's wonderful wife, invited me often. When Abe took Abner Kreisberg as his partner, we became like the three musketeers. I was very disappointed when they left for California. California was not the U.S.A., but New York which I liked was, in my opinion. I had only immigrated in 1939. I was in no mood to join them in California, which seemed to me the other end of the world, but Abe and I kept in close contact. I remember 1940 when Abe asked me to run the Julius Guttag collection as a combined auction. I always liked the West Indies cut and counterstamped coins.
This sale was a start of a close collaboration until 1952. I was in regular contact with fabulous King Farouk and I needed material, particularly rare United States coins. There was nobody more suitable at that time than Abe, who was involved in the breaking up of the most important U.S. collections like F.C.C. Boyd's. Abe and I saw each other several times a week. King Farouk was pleased with the coins Abe selected and he often mentioned to me that he was happy with my sources.
It was a sad day when King Farouk was forced to abdicate, leaving his coin collection behind him. It was clear from the start that the revolutionary government of colonels was going to sell the coins at auction. Abe and I were in Cairo at the auction and we were fed all kinds of rumors of the civil war, etc. Abe tried to buy the entire coin collection, but that was impossible. I still see Abe looking over the lots, which was a once in a lifetime experience.
The coins had to be catalogued fast and under great rush and pressure. Therefore, great rarities great rush and pressure. Therefore, great rarities were bunched together with cheap coins; brilliant Proofs were on top of other coins, creating scratches, coins were shown by soldiers who never handled coins and never would again.
The twenty dollar gold piece of 1933 was supposed to be returned to the United States. It disappeared and we do not know where it went. Probably it is still in Cairo. As King Farouk owed me a large sum of money for unpaid coins, I had succeeded through court action to get a credit to buy in the auction that took place in 1954 in Cairo. An intelligent lawyer found out that my coin in voices would save my neck. Each invoice carried the words: "Title To These Goods Does Not Pass the words: "Title To These Goods Does Not Pass Until Paid For." The Egyptian colonels didn't confiscate Farouk's coins, but confiscated American property, my coins. The court agreed. I got a credit note to buy in the auction, and some cash to pay lawyers. Cash was not only needed to pay lawyers but one of the colonels named Gaafar. He spent some time with me every day to get me through the maze of paperwork difficulties. A court order wasn't sufficient. Unending paperwork was needed and how could I get that done in Arabic? Gaafar was helpful. He supervised my buying at the auction. He ended up by getting a ''little" present from me-a nice German automobile-an Opel Kapitan (equivalent to the Audi). Abe met Gaafar too. Gaafar invited him to visit him. It was never to take place, because rumors of riots and civil war circulated among all of us numismatists. But nothing happened, although we were caught one day in riots that had certain antisemitic overtones. Abe was concerned, but he didn't have to be-as Egyptians hate violence.
I told Gamal Abdul Nasser that I had an insurance policy on King Farouk's life. (Lloyd's had issued a policy that if Farouk would be killed, Lloyd's would pay me for the amount that King Farouk would owe on the day of his being killed.)
I figured that the King would never die in bed. Gamal Abdul Nasser laughed and said "Schulman, if you would have come to me before, we could have made a 50-50 deal"-he was joking. Nasser was a man who did not like violence.
Abe enjoyed his stay in Cairo, and so did Molly and Sonnie. We often talked about it afterwards. Abe bought some marvelous United States coins. Because of the climate, King Farouk put talcum powder on his coins to protect their condition. It is therefore still today very easy to identify a 'Tarouk coin;" the talcum powder left a certain trace. Some of Abe's coins may be Farouk pieces. Abe argued with the soldiers showing the coins; they didn't understand Abe's worry; Abe tried to explain how they had to handle the coins, but they often dropped them. Abe almost lost his cool, something he rarely did.
Lunch took place on the lawns of Farouk's Koubbeh Palace, now under the control of the colonels. Colonel Naguib (who died in 1984) was in charge of the government then. Nasser was still in the background. Naguib signed some catalogues, and Abe was one of the few who got such a copy. Sotheby had published the catalogue; Fred Baldwin had written the catalogue, a magnificent job for the enormous quantities of coins to list and the little time given to him.
Abe was one of the greatest numismatists ever born in the United States. He left a great imprint on numismatics in our country, and he has been greatly missed since his untimely death. This book will be a memorial that will keep Abe living among us forever, as long as numismatics will exist. One never forgot Abe's birthday-it was always New Year's Eve. I used to telephone him on that evening or on the 1st of the year. In the last years I was often in Spain, in half retirement, but lately I am active again and I am a consultant for Asset Services, Inc. of New York. Consulting was also one of Abe's great capacities. Hundreds of numismatists and collectors called on Abe for help with their collecting. Liquidations of great collections were handled by Abe. One of the most famous liquidations he handled was the collection of Josiah K. Lilly, the pharmaceutical giant of Indianapolis. Abe invited me to help him on the Lilly collection, which in the end found a new home at the Smithsonian Institution for a tax write-off.
Abe was in his glory and he had all the reasons to be proud of his accomplishments. Abe was a close friend of such great numismatists as Wayte Raymond, Max Mehl, F.C.C. Boyd and many other famous names in numismatics. I am proud to have been a friend of Abe Kosoff. I won't forget him, ever.