Alexander Marinesko commanded the S-13 during what Soviet naval historians called the "Attack of the Century" — the January 1945 sinking of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff, which killed an estimated 9,000 people, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in recorded history. Despite this, Marinesko spent years in disgrace: his chronic insubordination and disciplinary record meant the Hero of the Soviet Union award was withheld until 1990, forty-five years after the fact and twenty-seven years after his death.
The Arctic Territories issuer is a private licensing operation, not a sovereign authority — these pieces circulate nowhere and are produced for the collector market under a concession arrangement.
Alexander Marinesko commanded the S-13 during what Soviet naval historians called the "Attack of the Century" — the January 1945 sinking of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff, which killed an estimated 9,000 people, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in recorded history. Despite this, Marinesko spent years in disgrace: his chronic insubordination and disciplinary record meant the Hero of the Soviet Union award was withheld until 1990, forty-five years after the fact and twenty-seven years after his death.
The Arctic Territories issuer is a private licensing operation, not a sovereign authority — these pieces circulate nowhere and are produced for the collector market under a concession arrangement.