The date code is on USA gloves - it's a 2 letter code by the "nylon stitched" wording on the outside of the thumb. First letter was year, second letter month. The gloves were only made at the Ironton factory in Ohio so there's no need for a factory code. And a2000 USA gloves were only made with Ansonia leather.
Ansonia leather is really incredible and compares favorably with the old school Horween leather. It literally feels like butter once it breaks in and it lasts a really long time if taken care of.
Were the gloves in Japan also made with Ansonia leather? No, I don't think they were. I have a bunch of each and the leather is distinctly different. A bunch of the old-timers at the vintage glove forum came to the same conclusion a few years back if you want to search through their archives.
The date code is not only on USA gloves. It's also on foreign made glove except it's a 3 digit code with the first letter designating country of manufacture.
I've owned & used Wilson A2000 gloves since the late 60's through to this day. All of my A2000's were USA made until the late 80's & the 1st Japan made glove I purchased was the stiffest, hardest glove I've ever owned! I never could get that thing to fully break in! I kept it around for about 8 years & only used it a couple of times a year when I played against Major/Class A slow pitch players. Never felt a thing playing 3B with that glove! I would up giving it away. I now wish that I had held on to it but I wasn't a glove head back then. Until recently, I bought my last A2000 in 1996. It was an ELO & became my gamer then backup until I retired. I never even gamed another brand until the late 90's when I tried Nokona. Didn't fall in love with them & then tried Glovesmith which I was satisfied with until I switched to Vinci. I didn't get in to collecting until I retired from playing. I used A2000's exclusively for almost 30 years. Over that period it was 3 USA's (maybe 4?) &
2 Japan's & I still have my college glove squirrelled away somewhere.
I strongly disagree with you on Ansonia not being used on Japan gloves. I know what Ansonia smells & feels like. It's very distinctive. Almost "sweet" smelling. This glove is the same leather & my USA's were.........
If you're referring to the VBG Forum, I'm very familiar with the discussions there. There is no consensus on Ansonia not being used on Japan made gloves. FTR, neither of the made in Japan A2000's I've gamed smelled or felt like the one I now have in my possession & this one predates both of those. What may be unusual about this one is that the date code is inside the back of the wrist near the thumb. There is also a "2" stamped in there. I have no idea as to its significance.
