If you’ve recently purchased a Louis Vuitton Papillon bag, or you’re considering buying one, it’s important to know where to find the date code. The date code is a series of letters and numbers that provide information about when and where the bag was made. This information can be useful in determining the authenticity of the bag and can also provide insight into its history.
So, where exactly is the date code located on a Louis Vuitton Papillon? Let’s take a closer look.
What is a Date Code?
Before we dive into where to find the date code on your Papillon bag, let’s first understand what exactly a date code is. Introduced in the early 1980s, Louis Vuitton began using date codes as a way to track their products. The code consists of four letters and numbers that indicate when and where the item was made.
For example, if your Louis Vuitton Papillon has a date code of “SP0021,” this means it was made in France in February 2001. It’s important to note that not all Louis Vuitton bags have date codes, but most newer bags produced after the early 1980s do.
Where to Find the Date Code on Your Louis Vuitton Papillon
Now that we know what a date code is let’s discuss where you can find it on your Louis Vuitton Papillon bag. There are two common locations for the date code:
1. Inside Pocket: Open up your Papillon bag and take a look inside one of the pockets. You should see a small tag with several numbers and letters printed on it – this is your date code!
2. Leather Tab: The second location for the date code on your Papillon bag is on a small leather tab sewn into one of the side seams. Look for a rectangular leather tab with several letters and numbers printed on it.
Decoding Your Louis Vuitton Papillon Date Code
Now that you’ve located your date code, let’s decode it to determine when and where your bag was made. As mentioned earlier, the date code consists of four letters and numbers. The first two characters represent the location where the bag was made, while the second two characters indicate the month and year of production.
Here’s a breakdown of what each character in your date code represents:
- The first character represents the location where the item was made
- The second character represents the production year
- The third character represents the production month
- The fourth character represents the production week within that month
Location Codes:
Louis Vuitton uses a variety of codes to represent different locations around the world where their bags are produced. Here are some examples:
- CA – Made in Spain
- FL – Made in France
- TH – Made in Italy
- MH – Made in Italy
- VI – Made in France (special order)
Year Codes:
The second character in your date code indicates which year your Louis Vuitton Papillon bag was made. Here’s a breakdown of what each letter represents:
- A – 1980 or 2010
- B – 1981 or 2011
- C -1982 or 2012
- D -1983 or 2013
- E- 1984 or 2014
- F- 1985 or 2015
- G- 1986 or 2016
- H- 1987 or 2017
- I- 1988 or 2018
- J -1989 or 2019
Month Codes:
The third character in your date code indicates the month your Louis Vuitton Papillon bag was made. Here’s a breakdown of what each number represents:
- 01 – January
- 02 – February
- 03 – March
- 04 – April
- 05 – May
- 06 – June
- 07 – July
- 08 – August
- 09 – September
- 10 – October
- 11 – November
- 12 – December
Week Codes:
The fourth and final character in your date code indicates the week of production within that month. This character is represented by a number from one to four.
In Conclusion:
Knowing where to find the date code on your Louis Vuitton Papillon bag can provide valuable information about when and where it was made. By understanding how to decode your date code, you can also determine the authenticity of your bag and learn more about its history. So, next time you’re admiring your Papillon bag, take a closer look inside the pocket or at the leather tab to locate its unique date code!