Collectors of stamps engraved by Czeslaw Slania will find interesting stamps of non-postal usage, which were used periodically during the post-WWII period in Poland. The “stamps” were issued by the National Organization of Ports Totalizator. The subject of the illustration is the monument standing at the entrance to the sports stadium in Warsaw. It commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic of Warsaw Runners Society.
The stamps feature three athletes in running position, as shown.
The stamps were attached to tickets used to collect winnings. Used stamps were made available to collectors. The stamps had to be differentiated from stamps issued for postal use. These were not valid for postage, although, examples have been found on postally used covers.
Revaluation became necessary after realizing the original 2 zl value was insufficient. The overprints were printed by the Central Sport Totalizator Organization to be used all over Poland rather than printed by the regional organizations.
These stamps exist in various values ranging from 2 zl to 50 zl, in the colours red, blue, green, and violet. Some of them are overprints (by hand or machine with 10 or 50 zl.)
Source: Jerzy Krysiak (through email) and article signed by him in “Close-Up”, 2003.