Hermes
Authentication Service
Independent Hermes authentication performed by expert specialists, supported by AI to ensure consistent results with over 99.3% accuracy
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LegitGrails operates independently and is not associated with any brands it authenticates
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Checked by at least 2 independent Hermes experts
Every item is personally reviewed by Hermes authentication experts to ensure accurate authentication
Hermes
authentication service
Price
$25.00
Authentication certificate with final outcome
Receive a certificate with the final authentication result for your
Hermes
item
How it works: start your Hermes authentication
Step 1
Upload photos
Begin by uploading images of your item
Step 2
We handle it
Our expert team reviews your item thoroughly
Step 3
Receive your certificate
You’ll receive the results via email, including a unique certificate of authenticity
What we authenticate for Hermès
LegitGrails operates independently and is not associated with any brands it authenticates
Handbags
Birkin Handbag
Kelly Handbag
Evelyne Bag Gen III
Evelyne Bag Gen I
Jypsiere Bag
Evelyne Bag Gen II
Garden Party Tote
Herbag
HAC Birkin Bag
Speedy Handbag
Bolide Bag
Lindy Bag
Trim II Bag
Double Sens Tote
Birkin JPG Bag
Herbag Zip
Sac a Depeches Bag
Jige Elan Clutch
Jige Clutch
Victoria II Bag
Picotin
Other
Clothing
Watches
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Authenticate Other ItemsFake Birkin vs Real: How to Tell the Difference
Real
Fake
The blind stamp and date letter
Every authentic Hermès bag carries two stamps on the interior: a date letter inside a shape indicating the production year, and the craftsperson's personal blind stamp – a letter or symbol unique to the individual artisan. Both must be present, correctly placed, and correctly formatted. The date letter system follows a specific alphabetical sequence with shape changes: no enclosure (pre-1971), square (approximately 1971–1996), circle (approximately 1997–2014), and unenclosed again from around 2015 onwards. These transitions aren't always clean cut-off points, so the letter and shape should be assessed together and cross-referenced against the bag's physical design characteristics for that period.
Real
Fake
Leather quality and type
Hermès uses specific leather grades — togo (the most common, a pebbled grain with a slightly matte finish), clemence (similar to togo but softer and more supple), epsom (fine-grained, very structured), swift (smooth with a slight sheen), and rarer exotic leathers. Each has a specific texture, weight, and behavior that differs from the faux leather and coated materials used in replicas. Togo should have a consistent grain with slight variation; epsom should be very fine and regular. A chemical or plastic smell is an immediate red flag on any Hermès leather.
Real
Fake
Saddle stitch count
Hermès bags are hand-stitched using the saddle stitch technique – two needles working simultaneously, producing a characteristic diagonal stitch pattern with consistent angling and tension throughout. The stitch count varies by leather type and bag size, but the stitching should always be tight and even with no loose threads or inconsistent spacing. Machine stitching, used in fakes, produces a visibly different stitch angle and lacks the subtle irregularity and depth of genuine hand work.
Real
Fake
Hardware: palladium and gold
Hermès hardware is solid, heavy metal – either palladium (silver-tone) or gold-tone depending on the order specification. The turn key on a Birkin, the toggle bar on a Kelly, the lock body and key – all have specific weights, engravings, and finishes. The "Hermès" engraving on the lock and key is clean, precise, and consistently weighted. Fake hardware is typically lightweight zinc alloy with blurry or shallow engravings and a finish that looks obviously different under close inspection.
Real
Fake
The "HERMÈS PARIS Made in France" stamp
This appears on the interior leather and uses a specific serif typeface – not too bold, not too thin – with consistent spacing between "HERMÈS PARIS" and "Made in France." The craftsperson's blind stamp and date letter will also appear in the interior stamp area, and the full grouping should be legible and evenly executed. Fake stamps are typically too bold, too light, misaligned, or use a slightly wrong typeface – and the blind stamp or date letter is often missing entirely.
Examine the blind stamp and date letter inside the bag — both must be present, correctly formatted, and consistent with each other. Check the leather quality (authentic togo/clemence/epsom has a specific grain and weight). Verify the saddle stitching — hand-stitched with a characteristic diagonal angle and consistent tension, with the stitch count varying by leather type and bag size. Assess the hardware weight (solid, heavy) and engraving quality (clean, precise “Hermès” text). Review the interior stamp typography. For any Hermès purchase above $5,000, professional authentication is essential.
Not in the traditional sense. Instead of sequential serial numbers, Hermès uses a date letter (indicating production year, inside a shape indicating the period) and a craftsperson's blind stamp (a personal symbol unique to the individual artisan). These stamps together function as Hermès's internal production record but cannot be looked up in an external database — they must be assessed by an expert against physical characteristics.
A single letter (sometimes with additional letters/numbers in recent years) stamped inside each Hermès bag indicating the production year, historically enclosed in a shape that indicates the era. From 1945 to 1970, the letter appeared with no surrounding shape. From 1971 to 1996, the letter was enclosed in a circle, restarting at “A.” From 1997 to 2014, it was enclosed in a square, again starting at “A.” From 2015 onward, Hermès dropped the shape entirely and began skipping letters non-sequentially as an anti-counterfeiting measure. The specific letter, shape (if any), and era must all be consistent with the bag’s physical design characteristics.
Every Hermès artisan who constructs a bag leaves their personal blind stamp — a letter or symbol unique to them — stamped near the date letter inside the bag. This confirms the bag was individually handmade by a specific Hermès craftsperson. The presence, placement, and character of the blind stamp are part of authentication.
LegitGrails offers tiered pricing based on turnaround time (30 minutes to 12 hours). All tiers include a free digital certificate of authenticity. Check the service page for current pricing.
Do Hermès Bags Have Serial Numbers?
This is one of the most common Hermès authentication questions. The short answer: not in the way most luxury brands use them. Hermès does not use sequential serial numbers like Louis Vuitton's date codes or Gucci's serial patches. Instead, Hermès uses:
A date letter indicating the year of production (inside a shape indicating the period)
A craftsperson's blind stamp (a personal symbol unique to the artisan who made the bag)
The "Hermès Paris" stamp confirming origin
These stamps together form the Hermès equivalent of a serial number, but they work differently: they confirm the production year and the individual craftsperson, not a unique sequential identification number. There is no external database to "look up" a Hermès bag by its date letter and blind stamp combination, which is why expert physical authentication is the reliable verification method.
What about the Hermès receipt?
Since Hermès bags are sold directly through Hermès boutiques (or through the secondary market), an original boutique receipt can be useful contextual information — but it is not authentication. Receipts can be fabricated, and a genuine receipt paired with a fake bag has been documented in high-profile fraud cases.
Hermès Date Stamps
1945
A
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2023
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2024
W
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Rated “Excellent” and trusted
by over 100.000 satisfied customers
Certified Hermès authentication —
Birkin, Kelly, Constance, and all Hermès lines
No luxury brand commands higher resale values than Hermès. A Birkin 25 in togo leather sells for $12,000–$50,000 on the secondary market. A Kelly 28 in a rare color regularly exceeds $30,000. A Constance 18 approaches $10,000. At these values, the counterfeit Hermès market has become correspondingly sophisticated — some replica Birkins have fooled buyers who paid tens of thousands of dollars and received a bag that appeared, at first inspection, to be genuine.
LegitGrails Hermès authentication is among the most thorough in the industry. Our specialists examine the blind stamp, date letter, saddle stitching count, leather grain and texture, hardware weight and engraving, and the "HERMÈS PARIS Made in France" stamp typography — all cross-referenced against a verified reference database.
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