By default the counter is reset with each new chapter, since you have chapters in your first example the counter is incremented but in your second example \startchapter sets the counter back to zero.

To have a counter which isn?t reset you need ?way=bytext" and to remove the chapter number from the \getnumber result you have to add ?prefix=no?.

The full \definenumber declaration is then \definenumber[examplecounter][way=bytext,prefix=no]

Thanks Wolfgang. I've updated the wiki page with this explanation. Felix