From the early 1960s, the USSR began to develop active cooperation with socialist and developing countries. Thousands of Soviet specialists were sent abroad to work. The government faced the question of how to "shield" them from foreign currency.
A practical need arose to create a system in which citizens would not receive foreign currency in hand and would spend the earnings made in foreign currency at home.
The most important parts of the new system were the USSR Bank for Foreign Trade (Vneshtorgbank of the USSR) and the all-Union association Vnesposyltorg. In the first, citizens were required to keep foreign currency in the form of "invalyutny rubles" and, through the network of Vnesposyltorg stores and firms, spend it.
It is important to note that, unlike other socialist countries, currency "substitutes" in the USSR were issued not for foreigners, but for the country’s own citizens.
A detachable Series A check for sailors, issued by Vneshekonombank (Vneshtorgbank) of the USSR, was a monetary obligation of Vneshekonombank (Vneshtorgbank) of the USSR to pay the amount indicated on the check. The checks were bound into checkbooks of the corresponding denomination. Detachable checks could be exchanged for goods in port cities of the USSR in stores of the "Albatros" system operated by the "Torgmortans" organization. All checks were printed by GOZNAK.