A Short Guide to Deciphering Louis Vuitton Date Codes
Are you wondering at the meaning of those letters and numbers inside your Louis Vuitton bag? Let us explain.
This short sequence of characters is called a date code, and it is used to identify where and when an item of Louis Vuitton's was created. Reading it couldn't be simpler: the letters indicate the item's factory (read: country) of origin and the numbers reveal the year and month of manufacture.
Finding it can sometimes be difficult, as Louis Vuitton prefers to place them out of sight. Here are some spots where they may be hiding:
- Embossed or printed near an interior seam
- Embossed or printed on a rectangular leather tab sewn into a pocket
- On a riveted leather tab underneath a suspended patch pocket
(Don't be alarmed if you can't find a date code in something of Louis Vuitton's that looks especially vintage, as items manufactured prior to ’80s do not have date codes.
Most often encountered is the 2-letter, 4-digit sequence, although prior years used different formats. Use the images and tables below to decipher your date code.
And here are the countries of the factories that correspond with the letters.
France | A0, A1, A2, AA, AAS (Special Order), AH, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, BU, CO, CT, CX, DR, DT, DU, ET, FL (also USA), LA (also USA), LM (also Spain), LW, MB, MI, ML, MM, NO, RA, RI, SA (also Italy), SD (also USA), SF, SK, SL, SN, SP, SR, TA, TH, TJ, TN, TR, TS, TY, VI, VX |
Italy | BC (also Spain), BO, CE, FH (also USA), FO, FP, MA, NZ, OB, PL, RC, RE, SA (also France), TB, TD |
Spain | BC (also Italy), CA, LO, LB, LM (also France), LW, GI, UB |
U.S.A. | FC, FH (also Italy), FL (also France), LA (also France), OS, SD (also France), TX |
Germany | LP, OL |
Switzerland | DI, FA |
Relined Items | DK |
Most recently, however, date codes have been removed and replaced with discreetly embedded microchips. Louis Vuitton announced that they will be switching from using heat-stamped date codes to integrated microchips and RFID transmitters in all of their products. These items will not have date codes, but will continue to say where the item was manufactured with the exception of items made in America.