Chanel Authentication Guide: Serial Codes, Decoded – Academy by FASHIONPHILE

Even over 100 years later, Chanel remains one of the most forward-thinking, valuable and desirable luxury brands you can buy.

Chanel deciphers the age of their bags using unique serial numbers printed on a tag or sticker. Since the 1980s the implementation of these unique numbers have ensured a way for Chanel aficionados to not only identify the series a Chanel bag is from but also authenticate it. Knowing where to find the Chanel serial code in your bag and how to read it is a skill in and of itself. 

But if you thought it stopped at tags and stickers, it does not. As authentication practices advance and outsmart the counterfeiters, Chanel has upped their game by replacing all stickers and authenticity cards with metal plates, or microchips. Effective since 2021, these plates are now the new designer ID. 

While keeping that in mind, we wanted to share everything you need to know about decoding both old and new Chanel serial codes. To help you identify the age of your Chanel bag with confidence and ease, this post breaks down the list of all the series from the 1980s to current. Ready to start decoding?