You have recently inherited a Chanel bag from an aunt? Or you simply fell for your dream bag?
Congratulations!
From now on you will be proud to exhibit your gem.
Except that… when asked the question “when was is made, what year?”, you don’t know what to answer. But don’t panic, this article was written for you!
And did you know that the serial number you find on your Chanel bag is not only a way to authenticate a real Chanel bag but also a way you to date it?
Before you start, you have to know that Maison Chanel started implementing the serial number process in the mid 1980s ;).
Serial number model |
Year of manufacture |
0 XXXXXX * |
1986 – 1988 |
1 XXXXXX |
1989 – 1991 |
2 XXXXXX |
1991 – 1994 |
3 XXXXXX |
1994 – 1996 |
4 XXXXXX |
1996 – 1997 |
5 XXXXXX |
1997 – 1999 |
6 XXXXXX |
2000 – 2002 |
7 XXXXXX |
2002 – 2003 |
8 XXXXXX |
2003 – 2004 |
9 XXXXXX |
2004 – 2005 |
10 XXXXXX |
2005 – 2006 |
11 XXXXXX |
2006 – 2008 |
12 XXXXXX |
2008 – 2009 |
13 XXXXXX |
2009 – 2010 |
14 XXXXXX |
2010 – 2011 |
15 XXXXXX |
2011 |
16 XXXXXX |
2012 |
17 XXXXXX |
2012 – 2013 |
18 XXXXXX |
2013 – 2014 |
19 XXXXXX |
2014 |
20 XXXXXX |
2014 – 2015 |
21 XXXXXX |
2015 – 2016 |
22 XXXXXX |
2016 – 2017 |
23 XXXXXX |
2017 |
24 XXXXXX |
2017 – 2018 |
25 XXXXXX |
2018 |
26 XXXXXX |
2018 – 2019 |
27 XXXXXX – 28 XXXXXX – 29 XXXXXX |
2019 |
30 XXXXXX |
2020 |
*The very first numbers do not always mention the number zero. Thus some of them only are 6 digits long, starting usually by 1 or 2.
There you go! You now have the perfect cheat sheet to help you date your bag. Not bag!! Oops… Not bad!
And for those of you who prefer images to numbers, see below our own bags…that have the advantage of being available-for-sale!
Chanel, Ready to Wear Summer 2009 – Serial number 12786452
Chanel, Ready to Wear Summer 2004 – Serial number 9116795
Chanel, Resort 2010 – Serial number 13188769
Photo credits: Vogue magazine
Sources:
Chanel Ready to Wear Summer 2009:
https://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/spring-summer-2009-ready-to-wear/chanel/collection
Chanel Ready to Wear Summer 2004:
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2004-ready-to-wear/chanel
Chanel Resort 2010:
https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/resort-2010/chanel