The collection of the Ivanovo Museum of Local History named after Dmitry Burylin presents a yefimok coin, which was legally established in Russia during the reforms of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from 1654 to 1659.

During this period, a huge number of thalers converted into Russian coins was introduced; they were re-minted or embossed with two stamps (the usual round face stamp of a kopeck and a rectangular stamp with the date 1655). Such coins were called “yefimok with a mark”. They were produced by coin counterfeiting, which was much simpler in terms of technology and made the circulation of thalers legal. Their value was set at 64 kopecks.

During the year 1655, between 800 thousand and 1 million yefimok thalers went into circulation. The 1654 ruble coins that were still circulating were equated to yefimok coins. Sometimes, batches of chipped half-thalers came to the Mint. They also received stamps and were valued as half yefimok, that is, 32 kopecks. Thaler stamping was abolished that same year of 1655 or at the very beginning of 1656. Many yefimok thalers are dated 1655. In 1659, the “yefimok with a mark” ceased its circulation. There was an order to replace them with copper coins, which caused vexation among the people. The mass production of copper coins and an attempt to equate them to silver coins resulted in the Copper Coin Riot. After that, the silver coinage was resumed.

The majority of the embossed yefimok coins was sent to the territory of modern Ukraine and Belarus, as the provision of troops during the grueling Russo-Polish war of 1654–1667 required a large number of full-bodied coins. There, they went into local circulation. The state did not go to the introduction of any restrictions or prohibitions in the annexed and turbulent territories. Besides, the recall of yefimok coins to replace the depreciated copper coin was not seen as probable. As a result, despite becoming a short-lived episode in the history of Russia, they continued to circulate on the territory of modern Ukraine until the beginning of the 18th century. And yet Russia would soon hear of “yefimok” coins again. Emperor Paul I decided to increase the value of Russian coinage. Therefore, in 1798, a trial batch of new yefimok coins was minted.