What is the best way to tell a fake or genuine Chanel bag? The serial numbers are an infallible clue. Our guide shows which number range the bag should have, what the fonts look like, and the clues to tell if it is fake.
Although the way the stickers appear have changed over the years, Chanel has continued using the serial numbers to this day. Many bags have lost their stickers and matching cards over the years so please note that just because your vintage bag doesn’t have a serial number does not mean it is not authentic. From the late 1990s to the present, the serial number has been printed on a white sticker beneath 2 gold Chanel logos. The serial number is most often located inside the bag at the lower left corner or on the zipper pocket. The sticker should be covered with a rectangle.
Chanel logos can be found on the serial number sticker and was protected by a clear tape with hologram security feature from 2000 on. The manufacturing date shows variation of the sticker, Chanel logo and hologram design (view below). Note that serial number stickers may. Original Chanel handbags from the mid-1980s are accompanied with authenticity cards embossed with a serial number. This serial number will match the serial number that appears in a sticker found somewhere within the handbag’s interior lining. The Chanel logo, hologram design and sticker will vary according to the year they were manufactured.
Chanel handbags are sold only very selectively through selected distributors. Therefore, make sure that the online store is trustworthy.
Serial numbers to identify a fake or genuine Chanel bag
Since the mid-1980s, Chanel bags have been delivered with an authenticity card. A serial number is embossed on the card. The same serial number can be found inside the handbag on the interior cladding or on a tab. The serial number inside the Chanel handbag is affixed by a sticker, which has been protected by a transparent foil with hologram since the beginning of 2000. The design of the stickers and hologram as a safety feature has changed over time and are described here.
Note: The published information may change or contain errors. We do not guarantee the up-to-dateness, correctness and completeness of the information provided.
Here is the guide to authenticating your Chanel bag by verifying the serial codes that are affixed inside your purse. There will be a clear sticker on top of the serial code that is included inside the bag. From 2000 up to the present year, the serial code will include two CC logos in circles that appear on top of the code (see picture). The sticker is still covered with a clear tape having a two cross-cut lines in the middle with gold speckles over the clear tape. On the clear tape, the CHANEL text and CC logo can be seen printed repeatedly on the right side, while a dark line is seen on the left side. Due to wear and tear older bags may notice the sticker moved or discoloured.
Chanel also has its own style of font for the numbers on the codes, zeroes have a strike-through from left to right, the number 1 usually have small feet or font serifs. The rest of the numbers except for 1 and 4, mostly have flat tops.Chanel Purse Serial Number Check
| Dates | Comments |
| Late 2013 | Serial codes start with 18, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2012-2013 | Serial codes start with 17, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2012 | Serial codes start with 16, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2011 | Serial codes start with 15, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2010-2011 | Serial codes start with 14, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2009-2010 | Serial codes start with 13, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2008-2009 | Serial codes start with 12, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2007 – 2008 | Serial codes start with 11, with 8 digits in total. |
| 2005 – 2006 | Serial codes start with 10, with 8 digits in total |
| 2003 to 2004 | Serial codes start with 7, with 7 digits in total |
| 1999 – 2002 | Serial codes start with 6, with 7 digits in total |
| 1997 – 1999 | Serial codes start with numbers five (5), there are no strike-throughs from 52XXXXX to 56XXXXX. The numbers are printed in a white sticker with diagonal cut lines in the middle. The sticker is covered with a clear tape and gold specks around it. |
| 1996 – 1997 | Serial codes starts with the number four (4) with zeroes having strike-throughs printed in a white cloth sticker on top of the patterned CC logo. |
| 1994 – 1996 | Serial codes starts with the number three (3), printed in a white cloth sticker placed above the patterned CC logo. |
| 1992 – 1994 | Serial codes starts with number two (2) and printed in white patterned CC logo sticker. |
| 1989 – 1991 | Serial codes starts with number one (1), with zeroes having a strike-through. Numbers are still printed in a white patterned CC logo sticker. |
| 1986 – 1988 | Chanel’s serial codes are composed of seven numbers printed in a white patterned CC logo sticker. Zeroes does not have a strikethrough yet, and the code starts with zero (0). |