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Where to find the serial
Until 2021 Chanel identified each bag with a serial number on a small sticker inside — usually on a leather tab or on the lining near a seam, zip or interior pocket. The same number was printed on the authenticity card supplied with the bag.
The first digit (on 7-digit serials) or first two digits (on 8-digit serials) point to an approximate production window. Published charts can differ by about a year, so read the ranges below as windows, not exact dates.
| 7-digit series (first digit) | Approximate years |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1986 – 1988 |
| 1 | 1989 – 1991 |
| 2 | 1991 – 1994 |
| 3 | 1994 – 1996 |
| 4 | 1996 – 1997 |
| 5 | 1997 – 1999 |
| 6 | 2000 – 2002 |
| 7 | 2001 – 2003 |
| 8 | 2003 – 2004 |
| 9 | 2004 – 2005 |
| 8-digit series (first two digits) | Approximate years |
|---|---|
| 10 – 11 | 2005 – 2008 |
| 12 – 14 | 2008 – 2011 |
| 15 – 19 | 2011 – 2014 |
| 20 – 24 | 2014 – 2018 |
| 25 – 29 | 2018 – 2020 |
| 30 – 31 | 2020 – 2021 (the last sticker series) |
After 2021: metal plates and microchips
From 2021 Chanel stopped using serial stickers and authenticity cards. Newer bags carry a small metal plate with a randomised code of letters and numbers, and an embedded microchip that Chanel can read.
The new codes are not sequential, so they cannot be used to date a bag. A recent bag with a plate and no sticker is exactly what you should expect; a bag described as recent that still carries a sticker deserves questions.
A serial sticker dates a bag. It has never, on its own, proved that a bag is Chanel.
The Fallen Archive Authentication TeamThe authenticity card
When the card is present, its number should match the sticker digit for digit. But cards are easy to separate from their bags and easy to copy, so a matching card adds little on its own — and a missing card is normal on a pre-owned bag.
- The series fits the bag’s model, leather and hardware era
- The card number, if present, matches the sticker exactly
- The sticker sits flat and shows the security features of its era
- A recent bag carries a metal plate rather than a sticker
- A series from before the model or colour existed
- A sticker on a piece described as made after 2021
- Card and sticker numbers that differ
- A sticker that looks newer, or more perfect, than the bag around it
Frequently asked questions
Not from the code — the plate codes are random. Date it from the model, hardware and the original receipt if you have it.
No. Cards are frequently lost or kept separately. Judge the bag itself.
Chanel has never published official ranges. Charts are compiled from bags with known purchase dates, so they overlap by about a year.