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5 Roubles
| Issuer | Vneshtorgbank (Bank for Foreign Trade of the USSR) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978-1980 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Sixth Rouble (1961-1991) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Отрезной чек Банка для внешней торговли СССР (выпуск 1978 года) По этому чеку Внешторгбанк СССР выплатит пять рублей. БАНК ДЛЯ ВНЕШНЕЙ ТОРГОВЛИ СССР Настоящий чек предназначается для расчета за товары в специальных магазинах «Торгморттранс». Серия А 5 РУБЛЕЙ |
| Reverse description | Plain unprinted white reverse with no design elements, text, or vignettes; a small anchor device is present at the right edge. |
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| Comments |
Vneshtorgbank certificates were a hard-currency proxy system, not ordinary money. Issued to Soviet citizens and foreign visitors who held convertible currency, these notes allowed purchases at Beryozka ("birch tree") shops — a parallel retail network stocking imported goods unavailable in the regular economy. The 5-rouble denomination was practical for everyday Beryozka transactions: alcohol, cigarettes, cosmetics.
The certificates circulated in two series distinguished by strip color — a yellow-strip version for Soviet citizens converting foreign earnings, and a blue-strip version for foreign visitors. The two were deliberately non-interchangeable, closing off arbitrage between domestic and foreign holders. Possession of foreign-currency certificates by unauthorized Soviet citizens was a criminal offense under Article 88 of the RSFSR Penal Code.