How Do You Read a Hermes Date Stamp?

If you’re a luxury fashion enthusiast, you might have come across the Hermes brand. Known for its high-end leather goods, the brand has been around for over a century.

One of the ways to authenticate an Hermes product is by reading its date stamp. In this article, we’ll discuss how to read an Hermes date stamp.

Firstly, it’s important to note that Hermes uses a unique coding system to indicate when and where the product was made. The code consists of two letters, followed by a circle and a number. The letters represent the year of production while the number indicates which workshop or factory produced the item.

To break down the code further, let’s look at an example:

Example: B in a circle and 3L

The letter ‘B’ represents the year 2018 as per Hermes’ coding system. The circle confirms that it was made in France (Hermes has several workshops around the world).

The number ‘3’ indicates that it was made in the third workshop/factory in France. The letter ‘L’ represents which craftsman (or group of craftsmen) made it.

It’s worth noting that each craftsman has their unique stamp, so if you come across an Hermes item with multiple stamps, it means it went through different pairs of hands during production.

Now that we know how to decipher an Hermes date stamp let’s discuss where to find it on their products:

  • Bags: You can find the date stamp on a leather tab inside most bags.
  • Scarves: For silk scarves, you can usually find them near one corner of the scarf.
  • Jewelry: Jewelry items usually have their stamps engraved on them.

It’s important to remember that not all Hermes products have a date stamp. For example, their belts and wallets don’t usually carry date stamps.

In conclusion, reading an Hermes date stamp can seem daunting at first, but once you understand the coding system and where to find it, it becomes easier. Remember that the code consists of two letters (representing the year of production), a circle (indicating the country of production), a number (denoting which workshop produced it), and a letter (indicating which craftsman or group of craftsmen made it). With this knowledge, you can authenticate your Hermes products with ease.