If you are a fan of Louis Vuitton, you may have noticed a series of numbers or letters imprinted on the leather or canvas of your bag, wallet, or any other LV item you own. This code is known as the Louis Vuitton date code and can provide valuable information about your product’s authenticity and production date. In this tutorial, we will decode the Louis Vuitton date code so that you can understand what it means.
The Importance of Decoding a Louis Vuitton Date Code
Before we dive into how to decode the Louis Vuitton date code, let’s discuss why it’s essential to do so. Counterfeit products are rampant in the luxury industry, and Louis Vuitton is no exception.
By decoding the date code, you can verify if your LV item is authentic or not. Additionally, knowing the production year of your product can help determine its resale value if you ever decide to sell it.
What is a Louis Vuitton Date Code?
A Louis Vuitton date code is a series of letters and numbers imprinted on the leather or canvas of an LV product. The code represents when and where a particular item was made. Each product has its unique combination of characters that identify its production location and month/year of manufacturing.
Where to Find a Louis Vuitton Date Code?
Now that we know what a Louis Vuitton date code is let’s find out where to locate it. Depending on the type of LV product, the location may vary.
- Bags – The most common location to find a date code is inside the bag’s pocket or near its zipper.
- Wallets – You will usually find the date code inside one of its pockets.
- Small leather goods – These items typically have their date codes in an accessible location, such as the interior of a wallet or near the zipper of a coin purse.
How to Decode a Louis Vuitton Date Code?
Now that you know where to find the Louis Vuitton date code let’s decode it. The date code consists of four characters in most cases. The first two letters represent the production location, and the last two letters represent the manufacturing date.
Production Location
The first two letters of a Louis Vuitton date code represent where your item was made. Here is a list of production locations and their corresponding letters:
- AR – France
- CA – Spain
- CT – Italy
- FL – USA
- FC, FH, LA, OS, SD – France (special orders)
- MH, TH – Spain (special orders)
Manufacturing Date
The last two letters in a Louis Vuitton date code represent when your product was made. The first letter represents the month and the second letter represents the year. Here’s how to decode:
- A = January
- B = February
- C = March,
- D = April,
- E = May,
- F = June,
- G = July,
- H = August,
- I = September,
- J = October,
- K= November,
- L= December.
- The second letter signifies which year your product was manufactured:
- O= 1991/2001/2011 or any other decade ending with 1.
- P= 1992/2002/2012 or any other decade ending with 2.
- Q= 1993/2003/2013 or any other decade ending with 3.
- R= 1994/2004/2014 or any other decade ending with 4.
- S= 1995/2005/2015 or any other decade ending with
| Year | Ending Digit | Year | Ending Digit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | L | 2000 | A |
| 1991 | M / O* | 2001 | B / O* |
| 1992 | N / P* | 2002 | C / P* |
| 1993 | O/Q* | ||
| 1994 | R/S* | ||
| 1995 | T/U* | ||
| 1996 | Av < td >V/W*|||
Final Thoughts
Decoding a Louis Vuitton date code can be an exciting experience for LV enthusiasts. It helps you verify your product’s authenticity and provides useful information about its production date and location.
With this guide, you can now decode your LV date code with ease. Remember to keep in mind; there are counterfeit products out there, so it’s always good to double-check before making any purchases.