How to Read CHANEL Serial Code. Official Serial Number Guide.

August 14, 2021

Chanel Authentication Guide & Serial Codes

Q: I have a Chanel Timeless Flap Bag and I’m wondering if there’s a way to tell just by looking at the bag when it was made?

A: That’s a great question! While the latest CHANEL bags are highly coveted, they’re one of few brands whose earlier era designs remain classic throughout the ages. For bags like the Timeless Flap that have been in production for many seasons, it’s nice to know exactly when your bag was made, and there is a simple way to tell. Every Chanel bag has a hologram code on a tag located in the interior lining, which should match up with the bag’s authenticity card.

Enter CHANEL Serial Number Below for Verification

This number also corresponds to the year or years in which the bag was produced. In the chart below, you can see which series match up to which years.

Chanel Bag Serial Number Dates

Also, if your Chanel bag still has its original tags, you can see the collection and year indicated by numbers and letters like 04A (Autumn 2004), 10P (Spring 2010), 10C (Cruise 2010), or 00V (for items produced year-round).

For bags like the Timeless Flap which are always in production, these numbers are the way to identify when yours was produced. Of course, certain other styles are well-known for being from a particular season’s runway collection. Especially beginning in the 2000s, we start associating bags with seasons as Karl Lagerfeld’s collections got ever more themed. Whether it’s the Paris-Moscou collection, Paris-Bombay, or Paris-Byzance, these iconic pieces are always coveted. Checking the hologram serial number is a great way to determine that these bags are authentic — the leading numbers of the bag’s hologram serial number should correspond to the year of the runway show it was in.

Authentic Chanel handbags from the mid 1980s on come with authenticity cards embossed with a serial number (pictured on right). The serial number matches the serial number appearing on a sticker placed somewhere within the handbag’s interior lining. The serial number sticker has Chanel logos and was protected by a clear tape with hologram security feature from approximately 2000-on. The sticker, Chanel logo, and hologram design varied with the manufacturing date (see chart below).

Note that over time, serial number stickers may become detached from handbags. Authentication cards also often become lost. Therefore, Chanel handbags missing these items may still be authentic.

Serial Number	Year Manufactured	Style of Numbers	Style of Serial Number Sticker	Picture of Serial Number Sticker
25XXXXXX	2018-UP	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
24XXXXXX	2017-2018	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
23XXXXXX	2017	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
22XXXXXX	2016-2017	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
21XXXXXX	2015 to 2016	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
20XXXXXX	2014 to 2015	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
19XXXXXX	2014	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
18XXXXXX	2013 to 2014	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
17XXXXXX	2012 to 2013	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
16XXXXXX	2012	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
15XXXXXX	2011	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
14XXXXXX	2010 to 2011	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
13XXXXXX	2009 to 2010	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
12XXXXXX	2008 to 2009	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
11XXXXXX	2006 to 2008	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
10XXXXXX	2005 to 2006	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Eight digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
9XXXXXX	2004 to 2005	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
8XXXXXX	2003 to 2004	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
7XXXXXX	2002 to 2003	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
6XXXXXX	2000 to 2002	0's have strikethroughs. 1's have small serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
5XXXXXX	1997 to 1999	0's have strikethroughs up to 51XXXXX. 0's have no strikethroughs from 52XXXXX to 56XXXXX. 0's have strikethroughs from 57XXXXX on. 1's have small serifs (feet) from 57XXXXX on.	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker covered with clear tape with two Chanel logos from 57XXXXX on."X" cut-lines prevent sticker from being removed without damage. "CHANEL" appears on rightright side of the sticker. Dark line appears on left side of sticker. Gold speckles appear throughout sticker.
4XXXXXX	1996 to 1997	0's have strikethroughs. 1's are sans-serifs (no feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker.
3XXXXXX	1994 to 1996	0's have strikethroughs. 1's are sans-serifs (no feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker.
2XXXXXX	1991 to 1994	0's have no strikethroughs up to 27XXXXXX. 1's have serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos. Opaque film covers sticker.
1XXXXXX	1989 to 1991	0's have no strikethroughs. 1's have serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos and left-sided cutout. Opaque film covers sticker.
0XXXXXX	1986 to 1988	0's have no strikethroughs. 1's have serifs (feet).	Seven digit serial number printed on white sticker with Chanel logos and left-sided cutout. Opaque film covers sticker. Note that early serial numbers (starting with a 1 or 2) did not have a leading "0". Therefore, these were six-digit serial numbers. Also, the sticker was larger than the stickers produced later in the series.

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