Free tool
Hermes Date Stamp Checker
Every Hermes bag carries a blind date stamp: a small letter pressed into the leather that tells you the year it was made. Pick the shape around the letter and the letter itself, and the checker gives you the year. It covers every Hermes date stamp from 1945 to 2026.
Checked and updated by the Bag Desk valuation desk
Pick the shape, then the letter, and the year appears here.
Every Hermes Date Stamp, 1945 to 2026
Four sequences so far. Three ran the alphabet in order, each with its own frame around the letter. The fourth, from 2015, dropped the frame and the order.
2015 to today: no shape
| Stamp | Year |
|---|---|
| T | 2015 |
| X | 2016 |
| A | 2017 |
| C | 2018 |
| D | 2019 |
| Y | 2020 |
| Z | 2021 |
| U | 2022 |
| B | 2023 |
| W | 2024 |
| K | 2025 |
| G | 2026 (reported) |
Hermes dropped the frame in 2015 and stopped running the alphabet in order, so a new letter cannot be guessed in advance.
1997 to 2014: letter in a square
| Stamp | Year |
|---|---|
| A | 1997 |
| B | 1998 |
| C | 1999 |
| D | 2000 |
| E | 2001 |
| F | 2002 |
| G | 2003 |
| H | 2004 |
| I | 2005 |
| J | 2006 |
| K | 2007 |
| L | 2008 |
| M | 2009 |
| N | 2010 |
| O | 2011 |
| P | 2012 |
| Q | 2013 |
| R | 2014 |
The alphabet in order, A to R. Some bags made late in 2014 carry an R with no square.
1971 to 1996: letter in a circle
| Stamp | Year |
|---|---|
| A | 1971 |
| B | 1972 |
| C | 1973 |
| D | 1974 |
| E | 1975 |
| F | 1976 |
| G | 1977 |
| H | 1978 |
| I | 1979 |
| J | 1980 |
| K | 1981 |
| L | 1982 |
| M | 1983 |
| N | 1984 |
| O | 1985 |
| P | 1986 |
| Q | 1987 |
| R | 1988 |
| S | 1989 |
| T | 1990 |
| U | 1991 |
| V | 1992 |
| W | 1993 |
| X | 1994 |
| Y | 1995 |
| Z | 1996 |
The full alphabet in order, A to Z.
1945 to 1970: no shape
| Stamp | Year |
|---|---|
| A | 1945 |
| B | 1946 |
| C | 1947 |
| D | 1948 |
| E | 1949 |
| F | 1950 |
| G | 1951 |
| H | 1952 |
| I | 1953 |
| J | 1954 |
| K | 1955 |
| L | 1956 |
| M | 1957 |
| N | 1958 |
| O | 1959 |
| P | 1960 |
| Q | 1961 |
| R | 1962 |
| S | 1963 |
| T | 1964 |
| U | 1965 |
| V | 1966 |
| W | 1967 |
| X | 1968 |
| Y | 1969 |
| Z | 1970 |
The first sequence, A to Z with no frame. Plain letters were reused from 2015, so a plain letter needs a second look.
Where to Find the Date Stamp
Look on the strap first on anything made before 2015: on a Birkin or Kelly it usually sits on the strap close to where it joins the body. On bags made since 2015 it has mostly moved inside, to the left interior panel or under a tab. Use a torch held low across the leather. The stamp is blind, meaning pressed without ink or foil, so it shows as a shadow rather than a colour.
How to Read It
The letter gives the year. The shape around it, or the lack of one, tells you which sequence the letter belongs to, which is why an A can mean 1945, 1971, 1997 or 2017. Beside the letter you will usually find the craftsperson's mark, a code that identifies the artisan who made the bag. That mark does not change the year.
Plain letters are the only real trap. The first sequence, 1945 to 1970, also had no frame, and twelve of its letters have come back since 2015. A bag from the 1960s rarely passes for a recent one, so period detail and a receipt settle it.
A Date Stamp Does Not Prove a Bag Is Real
Counterfeiters copy date stamps, often with the right letter for the claimed year. A correct stamp is necessary but nowhere near enough. Authentication looks at the saddle stitching, the leather grain, the hardware engravings, the heat stamp and how the bag is built. Treat any seller who offers the stamp alone as proof with suspicion. Our guide on how to tell if a Hermes bag is real goes through the other checks.
What the Year Does to the Price
On a classic Birkin or Kelly, condition and completeness move the price far more than the year. A 2013 bag with the box and receipt in excellent condition is worth more than a 2023 bag with worn corners. The Hermes price guide shows the bands by model and size, and the Birkin resale value page shows how condition moves a Birkin.
Hermes Date Stamp Questions
What is the Hermes date stamp for 2026?
G, with no shape around it. That is what collectors report from the first 2026 bags to surface. Hermes does not publish its letters, so treat it as reported until more examples circulate.
What is the Hermes date stamp for 2025?
K, with no shape. It is the first plain K since 1955, when it marked that year.
What does a letter in a square mean?
The bag was made between 1997 and 2014. A was 1997 and the run ended at R for 2014, so a P in a square is 2012 and a Q in a square is 2013.
Why are the modern letters out of order?
From 2015 Hermes stopped following the alphabet: T, X, A, C, D, Y, Z, U, B, W, K and now G. The usual explanation is that it stops counterfeiters stamping next year's letter before the real bags exist.
Where is the date stamp on a Birkin or a Kelly?
On most bags made before 2015 it is on the strap, near where the strap meets the body. Since 2015 it is usually inside, on the left interior panel or under a tab. The position varies by model, so look in all three places.
Does the date stamp prove my bag is genuine?
No. Counterfeiters copy date stamps, including the right letter for the right year. The stamp tells you the year if the bag is real. Authentication means stitching, leather, hardware, the heat stamp and the construction as a whole.
Use This Chart
Free to use on a blog, a listing or a forum post. If you quote the years or embed a screenshot, link back so your readers can check a stamp themselves. Copy this:
<a href="https://www.bagdesk.co.uk/hermes-date-stamp">Hermes date stamp chart</a> (Bag Desk) Found the Year? Find the Price.
If your bag is from 2012 or later and you still have the box, keys and receipt, the valuation takes six clicks and shows a price band before you give us anything.