I thought that was the most interesting paragraph in the entire Kolbe catalog review, as so many had wondered about the Schulman/Amsterdam WWII situation for so long.

Many numismatists over the years have wondered about how the Schulmans survived the Nazi invasion/occupation of the Netherlands. We all just assumed that some of the Nazi higher-ups collected rare coins and let the Schulmans live and carry on business to an extent. But this writeup by Hans in the notes of the Kolbe catalogue (Stack's library, lot 332) clears that notion up. Their father disappeared forever.

I have been to the shop on Keizersgracht on the canal afterwards when Jacques was dealing and bought an extraordinary cased 12oz .900 fine gold U.S. Presidential life saving medal awarded to a Dutch pirate captain in 1860 - and still have it.

Many hundreds of historical and informational tidbits and gossip of decades ago surfaced in the catalogue lot notes. Did you know that Hans and brother Jacques (of Amsterdam) Schulman's father "disappeared" and was never again heard from once "the brutal aggressors invaded the Netherlands in 1940" - written in 1945 where clearly Hans was yet so intimidated by use of the words "Nazi" and "Germany" that he skirted their use.

The catalogue was like a box of chocolates - you can't stop. You put it aside and then must almost immediately return to it.