Number underneath Polish blackprints?

On one of the internet auction sites I came across a strange offer. A Polish blackprint with a number underneath. Now I have seen many different forms, but blackprints with a number underneath...

I myself have a colored proof that looks like what we expect a print proof should look like. With an overprint "Proba" (proof). You would say unnecessary, since the stamp is imperforated. But in the former Eastern bloc countries it was custom to issue the stamps both serrated and imperforated, sometimes with some time difference. It should be noted, however, that the latter are mainly intended for collectors, in order to receive extra foreign money in this way. Preferably foreign currencies.

My first thought when seeing the blackprint with the number underneath was that the number in question was a page number, below the image in a book. This thought turned out not to be very strange.
With every offer on Delcampe or eBay, it is possible to contact the provider.

So I asked about those numbers:

Dear friend, as collector of the topic motorcycles I have some colored proofs of these stamps.
Now I see a blackprint and I'm wondering what the number under the picture is.
Can you explain me as I can see other blackprints have other numbers. I thought this was the page number of a book from where they were taken but I think I'm wrong.
Please will you be so kind and explain the reason of this number (12) for the Tatra stamp?

Best regards,
Nico Helling

This was the answer:

Dear Nico,
yes, you are right, this is the number from the page, please see photo attached.
Very rare and hard to find.

Best regards,
Rainer

So my first thought wasn't that far from the truth. The enclosed scan of a page from a book shows the definitive explanation of the number. It shows images of various stamps in black and white, with a reference number underneath which is referred to in the text on the page to the left.

In this advertisement the reference number was still visible, but there are also offers where, very meanly, the cut-out stamp is shown without the number. On the sheet on the page above we see, 2 positions above our Tatra stamp, a rower with reference number 2. But in the image from an offer the stamp is shown without the number (2) underneath:

Image from the book (left) and from the offer (right)

Be warned and stay critical, even with attractive offers.

Nico helling

The final stamp in 2 different values

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