Hermès Authentication Guide
How to Authenticate an Hermès Bag
Decoding the blind stamp, the hardware, and the hand-craftsmanship that define a genuine Hermès — and how Glampot verifies every piece before it reaches you.
Why Choose Glampot
Hermès is among the most counterfeited names in luxury. Every Hermès piece we sell is authenticated with the same rigour the house itself is known for.
Expertise · Verified by Specialists
Our team combines traditional connoisseurship with modern tools, examining the materials, stitching, hardware, and stamping of every Hermès item. With over 19 years of experience — and independent authentication by Entrupy, Real Authentication and Bababebi where needed — we can detect even highly sophisticated counterfeits.
- Experience — 19+ years authenticating luxury leather goods
- Technology — Entrupy, Real Authentication & Bababebi where needed
How We Authenticate Your Hermès
We examine every detail meticulously, then back our verdict with a guarantee — so you can buy with complete confidence.
Authenticity, Guaranteed
We understand that buying luxury is a significant investment. Every Hermès item purchased through Glampot comes with a lifetime authenticity guarantee — a 100% refund if it is proven counterfeit by a recognised third-party authenticator — giving you genuine peace of mind with every piece.
Understanding Hermès Stamps
Each Hermès bag carries a small "blind stamp" — a heat-pressed mark that records the year it was made and the atelier that made it.
Reading the Mark · Year, Shape & Atelier
Hermès dates its bags with a letter, historically enclosed in a shape that itself indicates the period. Additional letters or numbers appearing alongside the date stamp identify the craftsman and the atelier where the bag was made. The stamp is faint by design — pressed "blind" into the leather without ink — and on Birkin and Kelly bags made since 2016 it is most often found on the left interior, close to the back flap; placement on other models varies.
The Four Stamp Eras
The shape around the year letter is the quickest way to place a bag in its period. Match the enclosing shape first, then read the letter.
| Period | Shape | How the Date Stamp Appears |
|---|---|---|
| 1945–1970 | — No shape | A year letter on its own, with no enclosing shape. |
| 1971–1996 | ◯ Circle | The year letter is enclosed in a circle. |
| 1997–2014 | ▢ Square | The year letter is enclosed in a square (some late-2014 R stamps already appear without it). |
| 2015 onward | — No shape | The shape is dropped again. The year letter returns to standing alone and now forms part of a longer alphanumeric code that also identifies the craftsman. |
Hermès Hardware
The metalwork is a telltale of authenticity — both in the material and in the small stamps it carries.
Plating & Marks · Precious-Metal Plating
Authentic Hermès hardware is brass plated in finishes such as gold or palladium; it wears well, but scratches with use and gold plating can thin and tarnish in high-friction spots. On gold hardware, look for a tiny boxed mark beside "Paris" on the "Hermès-Paris" plate, and for clean, even, deeply struck lettering. Lightweight or quick-to-discolour hardware is a warning sign.
- Material — Gold- or palladium-plated brass; scratches with use
- Trademark — Tiny boxed mark beside "Paris" on gold hardware
Our Promise to You
Found a better consignment offer elsewhere? Send us a photo of the valid offer and we'll match it — that's how confident we are in giving you the best deal. Ready to consign your Hermès, or have a question? Reach out on WhatsApp and our specialists will help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What year is my Hermès blindstamp?
Find the embossed letter and note its shape. A letter in a circle dates the bag to 1971–1996 (A = 1971 through Z = 1996); a letter in a square dates it to 1997–2014 (A = 1997 through R = 2014); a bare letter is either pre-1971 or 2015 onwards (some late-2014 bags already show an R without the square). For the modern era: T = 2015, X = 2016, A = 2017, C = 2018, D = 2019, Y = 2020, Z = 2021, U = 2022, B = 2023, W = 2024, K = 2025, with G reported on 2026 production. Hermès never publishes these mappings, so treat the table as community consensus and read the letter alongside the bag's model and condition.
Do all Birkins have a blindstamp?
Yes — an authentic Birkin carries a blindstamp, though its location moved over time: on earlier bags it hides on the underside of a sangle or near the strap hardware, while bags from around 2016 onward carry it on the interior side wall. If you cannot find one anywhere on a Birkin or Kelly, have the bag professionally checked before paying.
Are the letters on a post-2015 Hermès stamp the craftsman's initials?
Not initials as such. The bare letter on bags from 2015 onward is a year code, and the characters beside it are Hermès’s internal code for the craftsman (or team) and workshop. There is no public registry linking these codes to named craftsmen.
Can a fake Hermès bag have a correct blindstamp?
Yes, and good ones usually do. Counterfeiters copy published stamp tables, so a correct letter in the correct location proves very little by itself. The blindstamp is one data point to be weighed against stitching, leather grain, hardware, zipper behaviour and the heat stamp — and ultimately against professional authentication.
Does Entrupy authenticate Hermès bags?
Yes. Entrupy added Hermès handbag support in December 2016 and covers Hermès bags in the house's leathers, with exotic skins and canvas items excluded. Hermès results can take up to 24 hours because of the brand's complexity. Where an item has an Entrupy certificate, Glampot shows it in the listing photos.
Where can I buy or sell an authenticated Hermès bag in Malaysia?
Visit Glampot at our store in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur (our only store). Our team has handled preloved luxury since 2007, and Hermès pieces we buy or take on consignment are checked by hand, with Entrupy, Real Authentication or Bababebi where needed. If you are buying elsewhere, make the purchase conditional on independent authentication before money changes hands.
Authentication Guide
Reference photos from Glampot's own collection. For educational purposes only. Glampot is not affiliated with Hermès.
