Mendelevski's Box

by Roger Swindells

  It sounded to Simon just like the dealings with van der Meer all over again, but somehow his father dealing with a fellow Jew made it more palatable. He guessed his father had paid more than the going rate per gram on the gold he bought after the Germans invaded and he suspected, that if he and Jos were not careful, the old man’s price for buying it back would also be heavily to his, rather than their, advantage.

  Hirschfeld slowly untied one bag and then the other, his eyes lighting up as he gently tipped the contents onto the cloth. ‘Ah, yes, I remember most of these coins well, but here, and here, these are ones I did not sell to your father.’

  With Jos’s help the old man sorted the coins by type and together they began to count.

  ‘Can you both keep a record of this?’ Hirschfeld looked at his companion and then at Jos. ‘Unless you would prefer to record it, Simon Mendelevski?’

  He shook his head. ‘I’d like Jos to do it for me.’

  The young Dutchman took a notepad and pencils from the leather case, handing a sheet of paper and a pencil to Jos as Hirschfeld began to dictate. ‘Seventeen gold twenty gulden pieces Koning Willem and sixty-five gold twenty gulden pieces Koningin Wilhelmina, agreed?’

  Jos nodded.

  ‘Twenty-two gold ten gulden pieces Koning Willem and hundred and eight ten gulden pieces Koningin Wilhelmina, correct?’

  ‘Correct. Do you agree, Simon?’ Jos looked at him and he nodded.

  ‘And two hundred and seven silver guilders all Wilhelmina.’

  Once again, he and Jos indicated their agreement.

  ‘Now these.’ Hirschfeld looked closely at the remaining gold coins, a puzzled look on his face. ‘Your father didn’t get these from me, Simon. I think he must have invested in these long before the war or even before we dealt with each other, ten or more years ago. I haven’t seen German coins since I left Konigsberg in 1905 and then I never owned any. The Russian coins are special ones for collectors, 1897 was the only year they were minted. They are very fine. Could it be your father was a coin collector, not just investing in gold? The Dutch coins he bought just as gold, not for the coins themselves, I just happened to have coins instead of gold ingots or jewellery, but these, well, these are different.’

  ‘I don’t know, I didn’t know anything about any of these at all. He was a stamp collector, I recall him often looking at his stamp collection and working on it, but I never saw him with coins.’

  The old man shrugged. ‘Well, write this down anyway, please. There are fifty-two gold German twenty mark coins, Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II, and six gold Russian fifteen roubles coins dated 1897, from Nicolas II. Now each of you initial and then exchange your lists, gentlemen. A little security measure, Simon, you have my list and I have yours.’

  Jos and the Dutchman swapped their pieces of paper.

  ‘More coffee or maybe a beer?’ Jos was clearly in need of refreshment and a short break.

  Hirschfeld spoke first. ‘Coffee again for me.’ He looked at the Dutchman. ‘But I think my friend here would like a beer this time.’

  Simon asked for coffee, a little concerned that Hirschfeld might not approve of him drinking beer. He had begun to acquire a taste for beer since he had started working for Jos. He remembered his first ever taste during the job interview and how much he had disliked it just a few weeks before.

  Jos poured two beers and went upstairs for coffee, indicating to Simon before he left to keep an eye on the coins laid out on the table.

  ‘Well Simon, your father left you a very nice legacy here, you’re a rich young man.’

  ‘I think he intended this to be the future for all of us after the war, for the whole family not just me, Meneer Hirschfeld.’

  ‘Please, Simon, call me Abe. I know you are showing me respect, probably because I am old.’ He laughed at himself. ‘But I prefer if you use my given name, we are friends after all, your father called me a lot worse!’ He laughed again.

  Jos served the coffee and they sat in silence for a few moments.

  Eventually Abe spoke. ‘I must get on with testing and weighing. I know exactly what the twenty and ten gulden coins should weigh, and I am happy with them. I know them better than my wife and I can tell just by handling them that they are genuine. Of course I sold almost all of them to your father, but I think I will weigh and test a few anyway. You understand I hope—please don’t be offended.’

  He produced a small pair of hand-held balance scales from the leather case, placing a small lead weight on one pan and a ten gulden coin on the other. He repeated the process on five of the Willem coins and just two from the Wilhelmina issue. Then he took a small bottle and, after making a small scratch on each of the seven coins, he allowed a drop of fluid to fall on each one.

  ‘Perfect!’ He turned to Simon with a beaming smile. ‘All weighing in more or less correctly at just under six and three quarter grams each. They are gold and I am happy they will be ninety percent pure, which makes a gold content for each one of just over six grams, six point zero six to be exact for the more recent 1930s Wilhelminas.’

  Jos interrupted. ‘And there are a hundred and thirty of them.’

  ‘Yes, don’t worry, we will do the final calculation at the end, the earlier ones are worn, they were coins of the realm, don’t forget, and were used in everyday life so they will be a little lighter. I sold them as gold, not collectable coins in mint condition. Well, the 1933 ones, the last issues, are very fine, but we will need to weigh them all together in bulk.’

  He moved on to the twenty gulden coins, repeating the process after changing the lead weight. ‘Each of these should weigh double the weight of the tens, just under thirteen and a half grams each.’ He weighed four of the Willem coins and three of the Wilhelminas, scratched them and applied a drop of fluid before once again stating he was satisfied. ‘Correct, just under thirteen and a half grams, ninety percent pure, gives a gold content of just over twelve grams each, give or take. Some are again very worn.’

  Jos spoke again. ‘Multiplied by eighty-two.’

  ‘Yes, yes. We’ll weigh them all together, the tens and the twenties, they’re all ninety percent so we can mix them.’ The old man smiled at Jos, perhaps irritated initially by his interruptions but then amused as Jos was clearly trying to work out the totals in his head. ‘Please, don’t worry, we’ll write it down and do all the calculations together, but we will need to do it on another occasion when we have the big scales.’

  Jos tried to cover his embarrassment. ‘What about the silver guilders Abe? There are…’ He looked at his list. ‘Two hundred and seven.’

  Hirschfeld thought for a moment, fidgeting with his beard. ‘They’re not really my thing. I deal in gold and there’s not a lot of value in silver. The earlier dates up to 1922 are ninety-five percent, they were withdrawn but many people kept them for the silver content. The later ones are only seventy, so we’d have to sort out the two types for a start then weigh them and I haven’t got the bigger scales here. Then I’d have to sell them on to someone with the facility to melt them down into ingots. No one collects them as coins, they’ll have to go in the pot. The Yanks are minting new ones, not silver of course, but you can spend the later ones if you want, they’re still legal tender, only the Germans stopped us using them.’

  Simon spoke, ‘So you’re saying they’re just worth their face value, two hundred and seven guilders?’

  ‘The silver value is obviously more than that Simon, but with all the work involved and I’d have to sell them again...’ He opened his palms and shrugged his shoulders. ‘It’s not really worth my time but, for your father’s sake, I’ll pay twice the face value.’

  Jos jumped in. ‘You make it sound like you’re doing the lad a favour.’

  ‘I am meneer, I am.’

  Simon tried to diffuse the situation. ‘That will be fine, I accept. It’s a good offer Jos, I’m happy with it. The value is really all in the gold ones.’

  Jos didn’t look convinced. ‘Are you absolut
ely sure?’

  ‘I’ll pay you that today.’ Abe looked across at the big Dutchman and grinned. ‘Joost here can carry them home for me, he’s a big strong fellow.’

  ‘What about the German and Russian coins?’ Jos was clearly anxious to get the conversation back to the gold. ‘Young Simon here needs as much money as he can get. He’s starting his life again, but on his own since his family were killed.’

  ‘I know that only too well. I was lucky, my beloved Miriam and I lived through it all so we still have each other, but both my sons are dead. They saw to it that we were safely hidden, away from Amsterdam, but they stayed behind and the Germans took them. Maybe to Auschwitz like you, maybe Sobibor, I don’t know where.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I had no idea.’ Simon looked shocked and saddened. ‘Sometimes I forget that others suffered the same as me, I’m so sorry.’

  ‘It was the fate of thousands I suspect, the final number will not be known for years, maybe never. But you, Simon, are one of the next generation. There are now so few of our young people left, we must care for them and nurture them if our race is to survive. For me it is all over, I have a few more years and maybe a few more deals to be done.’ He rubbed his hands and smiled. ‘But it is now just an existence for us. Our home thankfully was also saved, first my sons then my neighbours looked after it for us. Most of the contents were taken but the building is still standing and a few valuable trinkets and items with a sentimental value, like your father’s, were kept safe for me.’

  ‘There were good people around for us, Abe, like Jos here.’

  ‘So, to the rest of the coins. The German ones have a different gold content for the two emperors, one Wilhelm is more valuable than the other. I need to check that and also check what they should weigh. I haven’t bought or sold any of these, but I have friends who have, or at least I had friends, I don’t know if they are still alive. The Russian roubles I think your father must have obtained before he came to Amsterdam.’

  ‘It’s possible. Could they have been a wedding gift from his family or from my mother’s family?’

  ‘I think that’s very likely. I told you they are very special, the date is the only year they were made, so a present is the best explanation. Either way, I will buy them if you wish, but perhaps it would be better if you kept them as they are collectable and maybe the German ones too. Gold will rise in price in the future, at the moment it is little more than what your father paid.’

  At this Jos gave him a very knowing and noticeable sideways look, which Abe clearly recognised.

  ‘Please check the price per gram yourself meneer. The total value is enormous, so Simon has a lot of money to come but the actual profit on the coins will not be great. I was going to suggest that he sells the Dutch gold, if we can agree a price of course, but that he keeps the other coins for the future when the price goes up. The condition and rarity may mean they will be worth even more to collectors in years to come.’

  Simon nodded his agreement and turned to Jos. ‘Can we show Abe the watch cases, Jos?’

  Jos leaned over and opened the polished wooden box.

  The old man’s eyes lit up again. ‘Ah, I wondered what was in the box.’

  He took out the cases and examined them carefully in turn. ‘These are nice, very nice. I can’t weigh them today as I don’t have the scales or the right weights, but I can test the gold for purity. I don’t expect it will be over seventy-five percent. Anything purer would be too soft for watch cases, they would be too easily dented or scratched or the hinge would bend, but they are still valuable. Do you want to sell them?’

  ‘Yes, I have a complete watch my father made, I think these were for watches he had hoped to make in the future.’

  ‘In that case, let me see.’ He reached into his leather case and brought out a square rough stone and a metal instrument with finger-like points. He spread out the points and gently scraped them down the stone making five noticeable lines. Then he scraped the edge of one of the watch cases down the stone leaving another faint gold line. Taking the small bottle of liquid, he drew a line of fluid across the lines on the stone. One of the five lines and the line made by the watch case reacted to the liquid. ‘As I thought and expected, about seventy percent pure gold.’

  Jos, as before, was defensive. ‘How do we know that? Neither of us understands what you have just done.’

  ‘It’s a standard test for the purity of gold. Please have them tested yourself by someone else if you think I am deceiving you. I like a good deal, but I am an honourable man and not a liar. In fact, sell it all somewhere else if you want.’

  Simon desperately tried to calm the situation. ‘Abe, please, I’m sure Jos didn’t mean to insult you, please understand he is only trying to look after my interests and that all this is totally foreign to both of us.’

  ‘Meneer Hirschfeld, I am sorry, I am a simple man who worked on the docks and now runs a bar. All my life I have had to be careful about business and people who are not honest. Honourable men are few and far between in my experience and many of them are no longer with us, after the war. My apologies, I just want to look after this boy, I didn’t mean to doubt your honesty.’

  It was the longest, most eloquent and swear-word free speech Simon had ever heard from Jos and it seemed to satisfy Hirschfeld, who smiled and extended a bony hand. ‘I totally understand, and I expect you will check the current gold price before we can do a deal, in fact I hope you do so that we are all satisfied. Whether you then accept my offer we will have to see. The gold coins alone will be worth many thousands of guilders which somehow I will have to pay you.’

  Relieved Simon looked at Jos, who nodded his acceptance. ‘I understand. So what do we do now, Abe?’

  ‘I need to weigh all the coins on a heavier scale to get a total weight, so you will have to bring them, and the watch cases, to my home. I can send Joost over to accompany you, and Jos may come along. Before then I will try to work out, if my mathematics allow, approximately how much I will have to pay you. I may need to involve a friend in the transaction in order to raise enough money. In the meantime, you should check today’s gold price and also what it was in 1935 and 1941 so you will see it has risen little since your father bought the coins from me.’

  Jos spoke up, still a little defensive. ‘Until then we keep everything here.’

  ‘Of course, except the silver which I will pay you for now, four hundred guilders, agreed?’ The old man opened a fat, worn leather wallet and handed him the money.

  Simon quickly agreed and took the notes before Jos could argue.

  ‘Now the gold.’ Hirschfeld picked up the German and Russian coins and passed them over to him. ‘You keep these for the future, Simon. Now I will put the Dutch ones back in the two bags.’

  Jos watched intently, clearly counting, as the gold went back into the cloth bags. Hirschfeld then took a stick of sealing wax from his case and, lighting a match, he melted the wax until it was soft, rolled a piece of the molten wax onto the knots in the drawstrings of the bags and impressed his signet ring onto each one. ‘A security measure, I’m sure you understand.’ He grinned to Jos. ‘And, knowing you, I’m sure you approve. Please take care not to knock off or break the wax seals.’

  Jos put the two sealed bags into the wooden box with the watch cases and his copy of the note and brought a large linen bank bag from behind the bar for the silver coins, which he filled and then handed to the younger man. ‘You need to take care not to damage the German and Russian coins if you want to sell them to collectors in the future. Don’t throw them all in a bag together, will you? Treat them gently.’

  ‘Thank you, I won’t.’

  ‘Joost will call here in a few days’ time to arrange a date for you to visit me with the gold.’

  The four men shook hands and Hirschfeld and his silent companion left.

  Jos breathed a huge sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness that’s over, the things I do for you, lad.’

  ‘Thank you Jos, but w
hat’s the problem? I thought he was a nice old man.’

  ‘Nice man? Bloody hell, you are so innocent, I hope you counted your fingers after you shook his hand. I didn’t like it at all, I’ve dealt with some right villains as you know, and I can hold my own in most dealings, but I just didn’t feel confident. I was out of my depth and I admit it.’

  ‘We’ve started things off at least.’

  ‘Maybe, but we have to get across town to his home area, on a date which he’s going to pick, with all that gold, then back with the money. That’s if we even do the deal. He clearly hasn’t got enough cash, he’s going to cut someone else in on it and anyway if the offer isn’t right I’m not going to let you just agree to it. He might be one of your own but he’s a businessman. Money first and Judaism second.’

  ‘But he knew father, I’m sure he’s alright.’

  ‘Your father was his customer first and friend second, believe me. I’m just playing devil’s advocate and looking after your interests, call me a soft old bugger but I care about you.’

  ‘I’ve still got a problem. I’m selling gold and getting thousands of guilders that I can’t put in a bank as I still have no account and if I did, how could I open it with so much money? What am I going to do?’

  Jos thought for a moment. ‘I don’t know, I didn’t think about that. Like you said, I thought selling it in one go was the right thing, after all you were right, you can’t carry two bags of gold around with you for years selling a few bits here and there when you need money, can you?’

  ‘But I can’t carry thousands of guilders around either.’