Every Hermès bag carries a quiet autobiography: a small blind stamp that records the year it was made and the hands that made it. Learning to read it takes five minutes, and once you can, no listing description will ever be a mystery again.
Where to look
On most Birkins and Kellys made before 2015, the date stamp sits on the reverse of the right front strap, or near the top edge of the front panel under the flap. From 2015 onward, Hermès moved the stamp inside the bag — typically on the interior left wall near the base seam — making it invisible unless you know to look.
Reading the letter
The system cycles through the alphabet, one letter per year, wrapped (in some eras) in a shape:
1945–1970: plain letters, no shape (A to Z).
1971–1996: a letter inside a circle (A = 1971 … Z = 1996).
1997–2014: a letter inside a square (A = 1997 … R = 2014).
2015 onward: plain letters again, no shape — T = 2015, X = 2016, A = 2017, C = 2018, D = 2019, Y = 2020, Z = 2021, U = 2022, B = 2023, W = 2024… the sequence intentionally stopped being alphabetical, a quiet counterfeit-trap.
So a bag stamped □ N was born in 2010; a plain Y alone suggests 2020. Note the deliberate irregularity after 2015 — a “logical” fake often gets this wrong.
The craftsman's marks
Beside the year you may find additional small numerals and letters: the atelier and craftsman identifiers. Hermès bags are made start-to-finish by one artisan, and these marks mean a bag sent for repair can, in principle, return to the very bench where it began.
A stamp is a clue, not a certificate
Counterfeiters copy stamps too — sometimes beautifully. A correct stamp with wrong stitching, wrong hardware engraving or wrong leather grain is still a wrong bag. That is why our review is structural: stamp, stitch count and slant, hardware, heat-stamping depth, hand-feel of the skin, and the dozens of small tells that resist imitation. Read more about how we authenticate.
Collector's tips
Ask for a clear photograph of the blind stamp before buying any pre-owned Hermès — a serious seller will always provide it. We include it in every listing's photo set.
The stamp dates manufacture, not purchase — a 2019-stamped bag bought new in 2020 is entirely normal.
Vintage letters can repeat across eras; use the shape (none / circle / square) to fix the decade first.
Unsure about a stamp on a piece you own — or one you are eyeing elsewhere? Send us a photo; we are happy to read it with you.