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Recap: Louis Vuitton Serial Numbers of Date Codes? Since 1990, Louis Vuitton have been using a combination of both letters and numbers to indicate the date and country of manufacturing for each of their bags. The format of these date codes changed in 2007 from factory-month-year to factory-week-year. If you haven’t read our initial blog on ‘A Guide to Louis Vuitton Date Codes – the basics’ then it may be worth a quick recap before reading this blog further.   Table of Factory Location Codes: We’ve featured a table of Louis Vuitton factory location codes (specifically made for Louis Vuitton bags) to help you understand where your Louis Vuitton bag was produced.  France A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS (special order) AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, DR, DU, DR, DT, CO, CT, CX, ET, FL, LA, LW, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SA, SD, SF, SL, SN, SP, SR, TA, TJ, TH, TN, TR, TS, VI, VX Italy BC, BO, CE, FN, FO, MA, NZ, OB, PL, RC, RE, SA, TD Spain BC, CA, LO, LB, LM, LW, GI, UB USA FC, FH, LA, OS, SD, FL, TX Switzerland DI, FA Germany LP, OL  Not a complete table.   Matching the Louis Vuitton Inner Tag with the Date Code The letters on your Louis Vuitton date code should match the stamped “Made in (country)” on the main Louis Vuitton tag of your bag. See our example below. Authenticated Vintage Louis Vuitton Cabas Piano Bag from Vintimié - click to shop A date code of VI1004 indicates that this authentic Louis Vuitton bag was manufactured in France in October 2004. The factory code of 'VI' on image two matches the 'made in France' shown in image one.    A Final Example of a Louis Vuitton Bag Date Code:   Authenticated Louis Vuitton Sunset Boulevard Vernis Red Shoulder bag from Vintimié - click to shop A date code of TR4150 indicates that this authentic Louis Vuitton bag was manufactured in France on the 45th week of 2010. The factory code of 'TR' on image two matches the 'made in France' shown in image one.     Summary: Louis Vuitton date codes should not be used as an indicator of authenticity on their own, but they can help determine when a bag was produced and where.  At Vintimié we guarantee the authenticity of all our Louis Vuitton pieces - from handbags to footwear.  Shop here: www.vintimie.com    Other related blogs: A Guide to Louis Vuitton Bag Date Codes – The Basics  

Louis Vuitton Serial Numbers or Date Codes? The code on your Louis Vuitton (LV) bag is not a serial number, but instead a date code. Since the early 1980s, Louis Vuitton have included date codes on the interior of their handbags. These codes represent the manufacturing location and date for the handbag and are not used as a method of authentication. The date codes on Louis Vuitton bags consist of both letters and numbers. The letters help identify where the bag was manufactured, whilst the numbers indicate what date the bag was produced. Depending on the year of production, the numbers may represent a year, month, or calendar week of production.   Changes to Louis Vuitton Date Codes Over Time 1980s: In the 1980s Louis Vuitton introduced date codes. These codes consisted of 3 or 4 numbers. The first two numbers represented the year and the last number(s) represent the month of production. e.g. 821 = January 1982 | e.g. 8211 = November 1982 Towards the mid to end of 1980s Louis Vuitton begun releasing date codes with letters in too. These were longer date codes with 3 to 4 numbers followed by two letters. Similar to above, the numbers presented the month and year, which the letters represented the country of manufacturing. e.g. 821SA = January 1982, France | 8211BC = November 1982, Italy Read our blog on 'Understanding Louis Vuitton Factory Location Codes (on Louis Vuitton bags)' for more information about the meaning of the letters on your authentic Louis Vuitton Bag.   1990-2006: Date codes during this period were comprised of two letters followed by four numbers. The two letters presented the country of manufacture, the first and third number represented the month, and the second and fourth numbers represented the year. Confusing, right?  e.g. TH0095 = France, September 2005   From 2007 to 2021 More recently, the date codes on Louis Vuitton bags have two letters followed by four numbers. The letters represent the country of manufacture, whilst the first and third numbers represent the week of the year, whilst the second and forth numbers represent the year of production. e.g. SL1059 = France, 15th week of 2009   From 2021: Since 2021, Louis Vuitton have removed date codes from many of their bags and have replaced these with microchips. The primary aim of this was to tackle counterfeits – as these microchips are invisible to the naked eye and can only be identified by scanning them in an official Louis Vuitton store.   Examples of Louis Vuitton Date Codes & Their Meaning The location of the date code on your authentic Louis Vuitton bag will differ depending on the model and date of production. In general, date codes are usually found in the following places:   Inner Tab on Pocket of Lining: Authenticated Louis Vuitton Alma Long Bag from Vintimié - click to purchase Date code meaning: France, February 2002    Underside of Attachment:   Authenticated Vintage Louis Vuitton Josephine GM Grey Bag from Vintimié - click to purchase Date code meaning: France, January 2002    Side Seam: Authenticated Vintage Louis Vuitton Pochette Bag from Vintimié - click to purchase Date code meaning: France, October 1999   Interior Leather Lining:   Authenticated Vintage Louis Vuitton Josephine PM Green Bag from Vintimié - click to purchase   Date code meaning: France, November 2002    Particularly with Louis Vuitton bags made from patent leather, for example Louis Vuitton’s Vernis Wiltshire bags, the date codes can be very hard to locate and/or read as they are commonly located on the interior patent leather and hidden in the natural folds and edges of the bag.   Edges of Patent Leather:   Authenticated Louis Vuitton Wiltshire Vernis Bag from Vintimié - click to purchase  Date code meaning: France, 23rd week of 2009   Authentic Louis Vuitton Bag with no date code? Remember, a Louis Vuitton date code alone cannot be used to authenticate a Louis Vuitton piece. Like most vintage designer handbags, general wear and tear over an extended period of time can result in the linings of authentic Louis Vuitton bags deteriorating to a point where the date codes are hard to read or have disappeared altogether.    Summary The date codes on Louis Vuitton bags have evolved overtime, from originally being just numbers to being a combination of both numbers and letters. Because of this, several bags may have the same date code as each other and this is totally normal. Whilst Louis Vuitton date codes should not be used as a method of authentication alone (especially for second hand Louis Vuitton bags), they can help determine the background and origin of your beloved Louis Vuitton purchase.   We guarantee the authenticity of all Louis Vuitton pieces on Vintimié. Shop here: www.vintimie.com    Other related blogs: Understanding Louis Vuitton Factory Location Codes (on Louis Vuitton bags)