Technical Merc date code

I give up, I picked up a Mercury 8ba engine and have trying to date it, the code stamped on the block the rear is F27Z as shown on the picture but Z dos'nt match any chart I can find. So what do I have here?

 

A better view

 

Could it be Canadian, french, German, or some other foreign thing?

 

What makes you think that's a date code?

From all I've ever read (I wasn't actually there), Ford didn't really give a lick about engines being used in the order of production. Engine ***emblies (engine and trans with the serial number stamped on them) would get stacked in a warehouse, but not always used first in first out. And I've never seen an actual date or similar code stamped on any in my possession.