Can you tell me (us) why this engine SN is so high? What do the symbols mean?

I have a couple guesses, but cannot understand the 6-digit serial number. This is supposedly the original engine from a 1974 2.0L 914 car.

I'm not sure but once upon a time I had a T-3 that had a recylced motor in it and the stamp on it looked a lot like the stamp above the number 9 in your picture. Arrows going around. Could it be that the motor is a recylced motor.

I've seen that symbol on the internet before, and as I understand it means it is a factory replacement case.

Replacement case was my recollection as well.

Any ideas about the 6 digits? There were only ~15K GA cases made...why the 6 digits?

Looks like the exchange symbol used by Volkswagen of Canada for remanufactured engines. Those engines came without numbers, the original number was to be transfered. No idea where someone came up with that number.

Do you have the COA? As suggested, if this was a replacement case, then maybe the original number was GA006109... and this one was renumbered with the leading 1...GA106109...

-- Rob

I believe that number would have been installed in '73 production

I agree its a replacement case. i had a type 1 1600cc with that logo. i would venture to say it was used by VW world wide. at least the US/Canada

Perhaps the original number was GA10610 and a 9 was added to denote a remanufactured engine. My '74 2.0 has a number right around 10100 and it's VIN is 4742904566.

VC= Volkswagen Canada & the remanufacturing symbol. VC was the reman facility for North America. The serial number means nearly nothing in this case.

Thanks everyone...

Turns out this car is currently from Canada, but that may be more of a coincidence if VW Canada was the only factory rebuilder.

I knew the symbol indicated it was remanufactured, nice to have confirmation that VC meant VW Canada.

This from TheSamba.com, similar but not quite the same:

Exchange engines
These engines are normally marked with a VW recycle symbol and an X at the end.

Information from a 5/73 USA service bulletin issued 5/73:
Engines with the re-manufactured symbol, a letter, a number and ending with X, indicates a VW Exchange engine.

From April of 1972 Shortblocks were sold with the VW remanufacture symbol followed by a letter. No numbers were used, you were to stamp in the old engine number.