Vintage CHANEL perfumes and batch codes: a guide.

The ultimate guide to Chanel perfumes

Vintage and modern fragrances explained, with details on historical periods, boxes, bottles, labels, and how to identify authentic Chanel fragrances.

Originally published in 2013; fully updated on 2026 with new insights and photos.

Images posted for purely informative and historical purposes. All rights belong to their legitimate owners. Disclaimer: Raiders of the Lost Scent does not sell perfumes — not online and not in stores, and is not engaged in any kind of commercial activity.

(Note: here you will find the traditional 4-numbers batchcodes. For rare Chanel perfumes "Made in USA", and "letters-and-numbers" batchcodes, READ HERE)

Introduction

Chanel perfumes have been a benchmark in the history of fashion and culture throughout the 20th century, and their impact is still strongly felt today.

In the 1920s, when Coco Chanel launched the iconic N°5, the perfume world was still rooted in traditional recipes and presentation. N°5 revolutionized the concept of perfume, introducing an innovative formula and minimalist packaging that became iconic.

This scent became a symbol of freedom and modernity, representing the emancipated woman of the Roaring Twenties.

Decoding Batch Codes
How to interpret the main (“French”) four-digit batchcodes

Chanel is one of the most difficult houses to decipher when attempting to date a perfume. This is due to the fact that its batch codes consist of four numbers that, at first glance, appear to have no fixed reference point.

In reality, Chanel employs a system based solely on the progression of months, with no direct indication of the year. The sequence begins at 00, progresses to 99, and then restarts from the beginning, meaning that a full cycle of 99 months corresponds to just over eight years.

So where does the difficulty lie? The problem is that there is no direct reference to the year, either current or past. Are we looking at 1985, 1997, 2003, or 2011? On the basis of the batch code alone, it is impossible to know.

For this reason, you must rely on additional clues found on the box or the bottle in order to date a vintage Chanel fragrance with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It is important to stress that, because there is no built-in correlation with calendar years, absolute certainty is unattainable, unless official documentation from Chanel is available.

That said, by combining this method with other packaging indicators, it is generally possible to trace most Chanel fragrances back to at least 1980.

Let us begin.

Chanel: the main Clues

The following packaging details provide essential clues for dating Chanel fragrances:

• The marking “EMB” followed by six digits (e.g., EMB 123456) was introduced in 1978 and used thereafter. If this EMB code is absent, the perfume almost certainly dates to before 1978.
• Alcohol content notation: until 1980, alcohol strength was indicated with the symbol “°” (e.g., 80°). After 1980, this was replaced by the “%” symbol (e.g., 80%).
• The barcode appeared on Chanel boxes in 1990. Its presence indicates production after 1990.
• The Green Dot symbol was introduced in 1992, indicating production after 1992.
• The wording “Eau de Toilette / Cologne” printed above the word “Chanel” indicates production before 1995.
• The same wording printed below “Chanel” indicates production from 1995 onward.
• A short ingredient list (typically “alcohol, water, parfum”) appeared approximately between 1998 and 2004.
• A full ingredient list, including allergens, has been used since 2004–2005, indicating production after 2004.
• The additional address lines “Chanel Paris,” “Chanel New York,” and “Neuilly-sur-Seine” began appearing on both boxes and bottle backs in 2005.
• Finally, the batch code provides further—though more technical—information and must be interpreted in conjunction with the elements above.

In practice, if you are short on time, a rough dating can often be established simply by examining the box:

• No EMB code → before 1978
• Alcohol symbol “ ° ” (instead of “ % ”) → before 1980
• Printed barcode → after 1990
• Green Dot present → after 1992
• Short ingredient list → circa 1998–2003
• Full ingredient list → after 2003
• Mention of “Neuilly-sur-Seine” → after 2005



the clues are alcohol as "°" (80°) and the very tiny EMB code.
This could be dated around 1978-1980

The wording EMB plus 6 numbers:
it was adopted in 1978
("1726" is the batch code)



this is the "Greendot", adopted since 1992.

Remember not to confuse bar-code with batch-code: these are different things!



This is a Bar-code, it's printed on the box



This is a Batch-code (8401), engraved under the Bar-code on the box

Batch Code: where to find it

Chanel batch codes are usually printed on the bottom of the box or engraved on the back of the bottle near the base. On bottles, the code can be subtle and may require gently rotating the bottle under a light source to make it visible.

How to Read Four-Digit Chanel Batch Codes

Quick Method

1. First, look for external clues on the packaging (barcode, Green Dot, ingredient list, etc.).
2. Next, identify the batch code and focus on the relevant digits.
3. Finally, consult the table below and calculate the most plausible production date.

Please note that in some cases older boxes without modern symbols may have been reused at a later time, so cross-checking multiple indicators is always advisable.




THE classic ("French") 4-numbers
CHANEL BATCH CODE




If your perfume shows no identifying clues on the box—no barcode, no Green Dot, and no ingredient list—then it can be dated to the period between 1980 and 1990. The corresponding dates are as follows:

if ——— then

• 10xx → June 1975
• 20xx → April 1976
• 30xx → February 1977
• 40xx → December 1977
• 50xx → October 1978
• 60xx → August 1979
• 70xx → June 1980
• 80xx → April 1981
• 90xx → February 1982
• 00xx → December 1982
• 10xx → October 1983
• 20xx → August 1984
• 30xx → June 1985
• 40xx → April 1986
• 50xx → February 1987
• 60xx → December 1987
• 70xx → October 1988
• 80xx → August 1989

(...and now the Barcode appears...)

If your perfume has a barcode and/or Green Dot, but does not feature the full ingredient list (including allergens), it can be dated to the period between 1990 and 2004. The corresponding dates are as follows:

if ——— then

• 90xx → June 1990
• 00xx → April 1991
• 10xx → February 1992 (in these months the Greendot appears...)
• 20xx → December 1992
• 30xx → October 1993
• 40xx → August 1994
• 50xx → June 1995
• 60xx → April 1996
• 70xx → February 1997
• 80xx → December 1997
• 90xx → October 1998 (between 1998-2004: short ingredients list, on the box i.e "alcohol, water, perfume")
• 00xx → August 1999
• 10xx → June 2000
• 20xx → April 2001
• 30xx → February 2002
• 40xx → December 2002
• 50xx → October 2003

If your perfume has: barcode + greendot + the long ingredient list

it dates after YEAR 2004

and the dates are:

if  --------- it means:

• 60xx ----august 2004
• 70xx ----june 2005
• 80xx ----april 2006
• 90xx ----february 2007  
• 00xx ----december 2007
• 10xx ----october 2008
• 20xx ----august 2009
• 30xx ----june 2010
• 40xx ----april 2011
• 50xx ----february 2012
• 60xx ----december 2012
• 70xx ----october 2013
• 80xx ----august 2014
• 90xx ----june 2015
• last number is 96xx= December 2015, then a reset occurred




Warning:

Chanel reset its batch-code system at the end of 2015, so this method is reliable only for fragrances produced up to 2015.




(Let's make a detailed example, going backwards:

70xx: October 2013
69xx: September 2013
68xx: August 2013
67xx: July 2013
66xx: June 2013
65xx: May 2013
64xx: April 2013
63xx: March 2013
62xx: February 2013
61xx: January 2013
60xx: December 2012
59xx: November 2012
58xx: October 2012
57xx: September 2012
56xx: August 2012
55xx: July 2012
54xx: June 2012
53xx: May 2012
52xx: April 2012
51xx: March 2012
50xx: February 2012
and so on

Reformulations

Identifying reformulations is only possible from 2004 onward. The simplest method is to examine the order in which allergens are listed on the box. When that order changes, a reformulation has almost certainly taken place.

TUTORIAL PICTURES



Antaeus batch 5562, with long list of ingredients
date : July, 2012






Antaeus batch 2262 with barcode, without ingredient list.
Date: February 1993






Allure Homme, batch 0109, launched in 1999.
Date: September 1999



Antaeus batch 3426 with Green Dot.
Date: beginning of 1994



Antaeus, batch 7335 without any symbol — date: beginning of 1989



Antaeus, batch 5506, with long ingredient list — date: beginning of 2012



(from eBay) Pour Monsieur — barcode + short ingredient list — batch code 5207 (end of 2003)



Antaeus batch 6727 without any symbol — July 1988



Antaeus batch 2262 — barcode, no long ingredient list — mid 1993



Antaeus batch 8501, with all symbols plus long ingredient list and “Chanel Paris / New York” wording.
Date: end of 2006



Egoiste — batch 9408, barcode, no greendot (end of 1990)

Egoiste, with barcode and greendot, without ingredients — batch 4116 (mid 1994)



Egoiste — without greendot, batch 0907 (early 1991)



Chanel N°5 — batch 6081, long ingredient list, Chanel Paris / New York (end 2012)



Nr.5, batch 0608, with barcode, without list of ingredients. Date: end of 1991



Extra clues: Nr. 5 bottles through decades



Antaeus, batch 1726, no symbols. Date: mid 1984



Antaeus, batch 4514, no symbols. Mid 1986



Antaeus, short ingredient list. Batch 1702. Date: beginning 2002



Nr.5, batch 6106, with barcode and greendot, without long list of ingredients. Date: mid 1996



Platinum Egoiste, batch 8715, with barcode, without long list of ingredients. Date: mid 1998



Allure, batch 1402, with long list of ingredients. Date: beginning 2009



Allure (Ebay), long ingredient list. Batch 5301, mid 2012



Coco (Ebay), long ingredient list. Batch 4527, end 2011

Share this article: WHATSAPP TELEGRAM PINTEREST FACEBOOK REDDIT

About the Authors: We are a collective of fragrance specialists and historians based in Italy, France and Switzerland, dedicated to the study and preservation of olfactory heritage. Founded in 2009, our project is rooted in a family lineage in the art of perfumery dating back to 1919. Bringing over a century of combined expertise to every review, we provide insights into the world of vintage scents. Every article is a result of research and experience with original specimens. Images posted for purely informative and historical purposes. All rights belong to their legitimate owners. Please note: Raiders of the Lost Scent is an independent editorial platform. We are not involved in the commercial trade of perfumes and do not sell fragrances.






If you found this article helpful,
if you feel the information provided by "Raiders of the Lost Scent" has helped you in any way over the years, then we kindly ask you to make a small donation—completely voluntary—to help us. "Raiders of the Lost Scent" is a completely free site, and always will be. Raiders needs the help of its friends to continue to exist!


"Buy us a coffee" or "Donate via Paypal", on the following button:


"Buy us a coffee" or "Donate via PayPal"
☕ Support us
....and... 
Batch-codes
Year-of-production, 
all-you-need-to-know
about vintage perfumes in the following pages:






-CHANEL perfumes 


-GUERLAIN perfumes 


-YVES SAINT LAURENT perfumes


-CHRISTIAN DIOR  perfumes 


-GIORGIO ARMANI Perfumes


-VAN CLEEF et ARPELS perfumes


-BVLGARI perfumes 




-HERMES perfumes 


-VERSACE perfumes 


-GIVENCHY perfumes 


-GUY LAROCHE perfumes 


-CACHAREL perfumes 


-ROCHAS perfumes 



-JEAN PATOU perfumes 


-LANCOME perfumes 


CARON perfumes


-CALVIN KLEIN perfumes


RALPH LAUREN perfumes 


-JEAN PAUL GAULTIER perfumes 


-SERGE LUTENS perfumes 


-GUCCI perfumes 


-THIERRY MUGLER perfumes 


-CARTIER perfumes


Plus:
Kouros by Yves Saint Laurent, visual guide 
Fahrenheit by Christian Dior, visual guide 
Azzaro pour Homme by Azzaro, visual guide 
Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche, visual guide
Opium by Yves Saint Laurent, visual guide 
Samsara by Guerlain, visual guide
Egoiste by Chanel, visual guide
and others...

Share this article: WHATSAPP TELEGRAM PINTEREST FACEBOOK REDDIT