The date code is in the past. The chip in the bag is invisible. The first and third number indicate the week, and the second and fourth number indicate the year.Īs of March 2021, the Louis Vuitton bags and leather goods have a microchip in the lining of the bag. These codes start with two numbers representing the country, followed by four numbers. Instead of the month in which an item is manufactured, the date code now represents the week. The format of the four-digit numbering system was changed again in 2007. With the first and the third number indicating the month, and the second and fourth number indicating the year of manufacturing. However, the letters, representing the country, were moved to the front of the code. These codes still exist out of two letters and four numbers. The date code system was changed again in the 90s. Followed with two letters representing the country of manufacturing. The first to numbers show year, the last one or two numbers show the month. These letters corresponded with the factory where the specific item was made. In the mid-80s, Louis Vuitton started using letters in the date codes. The first two numbers show the year, and the last one or two numbers show the month. Louis Vuitton started using 3- or 4-digit codes to indicate the year and month in which the item was manufactured. There was no use of date codes before 1982. The combination of these letters and numbers have changed several times over the years. The letters show where the item was made, and the numbers show when the item was made. Most Louis Vuitton date codes consist of two letters combined with four numbers. How to read the date code on your Louis Vuitton bag Agenda’s: Under the flap closest to the seam.Wallets: On the inner edge of the notes compartment.Engraved onto the fabric of the bag (often along a side seam).On the exterior leather strap, most likely close to a hinge.On a leather tab stitched into a pocket.On a leather tab that is stitched into the lining of the bag.The most common places for the date code to be located are: Finding the code might be hard sometimes, since they are in different places for different items. The date code is commonly stamped on interior linings or tags inside of each Louis Vuitton item. This happens when the bag is heavily used. And items made before 1982 will not have a date code either. Nowadays, Louis Vuitton adds data chips to its items to make it easier to check authenticity, for repairs and to check the date the item was manufactured. Sometimes items have neither a date code nor a chip, this can be due to various reasons: sometimes it happens with older items (mainly those with alcantara linings) that the date code is faded away, with them sometimes being completely gone. Louis Vuitton had started adding date codes to items from 1982, but recently they stopped doing so. No, not every Louis Vuitton item has a data code. However, it is still an important factor and you should always check if the country code of the date code matches the :“made-in” stamp, inside of the bag (if this is not the case, the item is definitely fake.) Authentic Louis Vuitton items always have a date code set in a font specific to Louis Vuitton.ĭo all Louis Vuitton items have date codes? Unfortunately, the code is no guarantee that the bag is real since a lot of counterfeit items have a (fake) date code as well. Checking the date code in a Louis Vuitton item can help with the authentication. This code isn’t unique to an item, it’s rather used to recognize the manufacturing date and place of the item.
Instead of serial numbers to identify items, Louis Vuitton uses date codes. A great question, since all of our items are vintage and some of them have a quite some history! Luckily we are most of the time able to tell you when and where a Louis Vuitton bag was made thanks to the so called “date code”.