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It looks as though you always had the number on a separate little plate on your phones instead of on the dial.

Yes, even the few new standard phones of today still have it.
In the center of the dial you had the screw holding the front disc in place, and around it you could put a sticker with radio taxi, police, fire department and ambulance emergency numbers. 31300 and 40100 are the best-known and oldest ones.