Since the early 1980s Louis Vuitton has been using a batch code on their product to determine the date and country of manufacture.
These codes are mainly for Louis Vuitton’s own internal use. Vintage pieces made before 1980 therefore will not have a batch code.
The first batch codes used consisted of three or four letters. These would represent the month and year of manufacture. Therefore the code 842 would have a manufacture date of February 1984.
In the late 80s Louis Vuitton added 2 alphabetic letters to reveal which factory/country had produced the item.
Country codes:-
France: A0, A1, A2, AA, AN, AR, AS, BA, BJ, CT, DU, ET, FL, MB, MI, NO, RA, RI, SD, SL, SN, SP, SR, TH, VI
USA: FC, FH, LA, OS, SD
Spain: CA, LO, LB, LM, LW
Italy: CE, SA
Germany: LP
In the 90s the system also changed.
The 4 numbers are the manufacturing date, but now the date is staggered. The first and third numbers are the year, while the second and fourth numbers are the month.
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