Help dating model 1894|General Discussions & Questions|Forum|Winchester Collector

Hello everyone and thank you in advance. So my father has a model 94 30-30. The serial number is v50299. When I go based on the serial number look up it says that it was manufactured in 1898. The problem is the “v” at the beginning of the serial number I have not been able to find out a definitive answer as to what that is for. Any help would be greatly appreciated