Here are very minor variations of the silver, numbered Soviet Master Sportsman badge along with two of the Georgian version.
I should have started collecting sports badges years ago but I ignored them solely because there were so many and you could always get good ones. Dumbdumbdumb. I sure wish I had picked up some of those old badges, especially the early sport-specific badges.
Here is an early variation of the Master Sportsman badge. It came in a group with three other good badges and four good documents. The recipient was a famous engineer.
Here is the Title "Candidate Master Of Sport Of The U.S.S.R.". The fourth level of sporting Title awarded by the Committee For Physical Culture And Sport Under The Ministerial Soviet's Unified All-Union Sport Classification.
Created in 1935 the Titles were awarded to outstanding sportsmen and women. The Titles were (from highest) "Meritorious Master Of Sport Of The U.S.S.R", "Master Of Sport Of The U.S.S.R. International Class", "Master Of Sport Of The U.S.S.R." and finally "Candidate Master Of Sport Of The U.S.S.R."
This is a 1970's period piece and was minted at the Leningrad Mint. Probably the most common and easiest to collect state sanctioned Title.
Here is the document for Title #103502 to V. B. Smirnov for Road Cycle Racing awarded 24th June 1974. Even with all the noise around cycle racing I can't find any additional information on this Master at this time.
