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What the blind stamp is
Hermès presses a small stamp into the leather without ink — hence “blind”. It carries a year letter, sometimes inside a frame, together with characters that identify the workshop and the artisan who made the piece.
The year letter can be read from published charts. The workshop and artisan characters cannot: Hermès has never published that key, so treat anyone who claims to “decode” them precisely with caution.
Where to find it
On recent Birkins and Kellys the stamp is usually inside the bag, near the point where the flap or strap meets the back panel. On older bags it is often hidden under a strap or a small leather tab. On small leather goods, look inside a pocket or along an interior seam.
| Years | Frame around the letter | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 – 1970 | No frame | A (1945) to Z (1970), in alphabetical order |
| 1971 – 1996 | Circle | A (1971) to Z (1996), in alphabetical order |
| 1997 – 2014 | Square | A (1997) to R (2014), in alphabetical order |
| 2015 onward | No frame | A non-alphabetical sequence — see the next table |
| Year | Letter |
|---|---|
| 2015 | T |
| 2016 | X |
| 2017 | A |
| 2018 | C |
| 2019 | D |
| 2020 | Y |
| 2021 | Z |
| 2022 | U |
| 2023 | B |
| 2024 | W |
| 2025 | K (as reported by the resale trade) |
Decode your stamp
Choose the letter and the frame around it to see the year, or find the letter in the full chart.
Every year letter, 1945 to 2025
| Letter | No frame1945–1970 | Circle1971–1996 | Square1997–2014 | No frame2015–today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1945 | 1971 | 1997 | 2017 |
| B | 1946 | 1972 | 1998 | 2023 |
| C | 1947 | 1973 | 1999 | 2018 |
| D | 1948 | 1974 | 2000 | 2019 |
| E | 1949 | 1975 | 2001 | – |
| F | 1950 | 1976 | 2002 | – |
| G | 1951 | 1977 | 2003 | – |
| H | 1952 | 1978 | 2004 | – |
| I | 1953 | 1979 | 2005 | – |
| J | 1954 | 1980 | 2006 | – |
| K | 1955 | 1981 | 2007 | 2025* |
| L | 1956 | 1982 | 2008 | – |
| M | 1957 | 1983 | 2009 | – |
| N | 1958 | 1984 | 2010 | – |
| O | 1959 | 1985 | 2011 | – |
| P | 1960 | 1986 | 2012 | – |
| Q | 1961 | 1987 | 2013 | – |
| R | 1962 | 1988 | 2014 | – |
| S | 1963 | 1989 | – | – |
| T | 1964 | 1990 | – | 2015 |
| U | 1965 | 1991 | – | 2022 |
| V | 1966 | 1992 | – | – |
| W | 1967 | 1993 | – | 2024 |
| X | 1968 | 1994 | – | 2016 |
| Y | 1969 | 1995 | – | 2020 |
| Z | 1970 | 1996 | – | 2021 |
Since 2015 the letters no longer run in order. * As reported by the resale trade; Hermès does not publish the year letter.
Reading a modern stamp
Two quirks catch people out. Since 2015 the letters no longer run in order, and like the 1945–1970 stamps they have no frame — so a plain “A” could mean 1945 or 2017. The bag itself settles it: the model, leather, hardware and lining of a 1940s piece look nothing like a 2017 one.
Around the 2014 change-over some bags carry an “R” without its square. That is a documented transition quirk, not by itself a warning sign.
The year letter dates the leatherwork. Only the leatherwork itself tells you whether it was Hermès.
The Fallen Archive Authentication TeamOther marks you may see
A small horseshoe stamp is widely recognised as the mark of a special-order piece. Exotic skins carry an additional small symbol indicating the species. Neither is part of the year code, and both are copied by counterfeiters — so they add context, not proof.
- The letter and frame combination existed in that era
- The year is plausible for the model, leather and hardware
- The stamp is crisp, evenly pressed and in proportion
- Workshop and artisan characters are present beside the year
- A frame that era never used, such as a circle on a 2005 bag
- A year before the model or leather existed
- Ink in the stamp, or a printed rather than pressed mark
- A shallow, blurred stamp on an otherwise crisp bag
Frequently asked questions
No. Hermès does not publish a key, so they can’t be decoded into a name or a workshop by outsiders.
No. Counterfeiters reproduce correct letters and frames. The stamp is one data point alongside stitching, leather, hardware and construction.
Hermès does not announce it. The resale trade identifies each new letter from new-season pieces, which is why the most recent entries are marked as reported.