Authentication
Hermès blindstamps explained
By the Encore Luxe specialists · Reviewed by Encore Luxe Authentication · Updated October 2026
Somewhere on almost every Hermès leather piece, pressed quietly into the leather without ink, is a small record of its making: a letter for the year, and a mark for the artisan or workshop. Clients often ask about it, and it is one of the details our specialists look at when authenticating. This guide explains what blindstamps are, how the dating system works and why we never rely on the stamp alone.
For general information only, and not a substitute for professional authentication.
What "blind" means
In leatherwork, a blind stamp is one pressed without colour or foil. Hermès uses a blindstamp to mark the year of manufacture. Separately, the artisan or workshop is identified by a combination of letters and numbers, which in recent years has been stamped near the year letter.
How the year letter works
Hermès dates pieces with a letter of the alphabet, moving on one letter each year. Not every letter is used, as some are skipped to avoid confusion. When the alphabet is exhausted, a new cycle begins. To tell one cycle from another, earlier cycles placed the letter inside a shape: no shape in the earliest cycle, then a circle, then a square. From 2015 the letter has been shown without a surrounding shape. In more recent years the year letter has also been positioned differently relative to the artisan's mark.
In practice, the letter and its shape (or absence of one) narrow down the year of manufacture, and our specialists cross-check this against the leather, colour, hardware and construction, all of which were available only in particular periods.
Where to find it
Placement varies by model and era:
- Birkin: often on the inside of the right strap, or on the back of the strap where it meets the body, or under the flap near the heat stamp in more recent bags.
- Kelly: typically under the flap or on the strap.
- Constance: usually inside, under the flap.
- Small leather goods and wallets: often inside a pocket or along an inner edge.
We know where to expect the stamp for each model and period, and a stamp in an unexpected place calls for closer attention.
What our specialists look at
- Presence: a blindstamp should be there on the great majority of Hermès leather pieces.
- Form: letters should be cleanly impressed at a consistent depth, with no smudging or doubled impressions.
- Font and proportion: consistent with genuine stamps of the same era.
- Consistency: the year should agree with everything else. A leather introduced in one decade, or hardware of a later style, cannot sit alongside a year letter from an earlier one.
Why the stamp is never enough
Copies are often made with a plausible blindstamp, because it is one of the best-known details. A genuine Hermès is recognised by its saddle stitching, edges, leather, hardware, heat stamp and blindstamp together. That is why our guides to the Birkin and Kelly treat the blindstamp as one clue among many.
Special order marks
Some Hermès pieces made to special order carry an additional small mark, often described as a horseshoe stamp, near the blindstamp. We look at these in the context of the whole piece, as they too are copied.
Worn or faint stamps
On older or well-used bags, a blindstamp can become faint, particularly on soft leathers. A faint stamp is not in itself a concern, and we examine it under raking light and magnification.
What we do
Every Hermès piece we offer has been examined by our specialists in our UK studio, and its blindstamp checked as part of the whole. If we are not certain, we do not list it.
Related: Hermès house guide · How we authenticate · Glossary: blindstamp
This guide is for general information and is not a substitute for professional authentication. Encore Luxe is an independent retailer and is not affiliated with Hermès.
Questions we’re often asked
- What is a Hermès blindstamp?
A blindstamp is an uncoloured stamp pressed into the leather of a Hermès piece. It shows a letter indicating the year of manufacture and a mark identifying the artisan or workshop.
- How do I read the year on a Hermès bag?
The year letter follows an alphabetical cycle. Older bags enclose the letter in a shape such as a circle or square to show which cycle it belongs to. More recent bags show the letter without a shape.
- Does a correct blindstamp prove a bag is genuine?
No. Stamps are copied, so a blindstamp is only meaningful when it is consistent with the leather, hardware and construction of the bag. We treat it as one clue among many.
- Where is the blindstamp on a Hermès bag?
It depends on the model and era. On Birkins and Kellys it is usually on the strap or under the flap. On small leather goods it is often inside a pocket or along an inner edge.