2 Kopecks Foreign Exchange Certificate

Vneshtorgbank's Foreign Exchange Certificates — known informally as "cheki" — were issued in two distinct series distinguished by a colored stripe on the reverse: a yellow stripe for certificates purchased with the currencies of socialist countries, and a blue stripe for hard Western currencies. The 2 kopeck denomination is among the lowest in either series, reflecting the system's design as a closed currency mechanism for use exclusively in Beriozka shops, where Soviet citizens with access to foreign remittances could purchase otherwise unobtainable imported goods.

The 1967 introduction date coincides with a reorganization of the Beriozka network. Holders of these certificates were, by definition, persons with foreign connections — a fact the Soviet state tracked carefully.