How to recognize HERMES perfumes and batch codes.

Hermes is one of the greatest French fashion houses. Perfumes are well-known for luxury and quality. Here is the complete list of batch numbers since 1978.

"Decoding" batch numbers is not so simple, mainly for two reasons:

1 — The code itself (missed letters, changing schemes during years).
2 — "Erasing" of letters and numbers from the bottle. This point is very important: unfortunately, until the beginning of the Nineties, Hermès used "painted" batch numbers on the bottom of most bottles. These numbers are very easily erased. This picture is an example:

This is a bottle of "Equipage", 2nd version. You can read the "painted" batch number: LE21. As you will learn later, it's easily dated to year 1989.

But have a look at this other bottle (below):

Here you can see a bottle of "Amazone" (2nd edition), year 1990. Where is the batch number on the bottom? It no longer exists — completely erased. Painted numbers, unfortunately, are easily removed.

If you want to date these bottles and you don't have the box, you are in serious trouble. You could even suspect a fake, when it's in fact a genuine bottle. Be careful with Hermès bottles apparently without any number or code.

Hermès Batch Code

Since 1978 until 1999:

You have to check the first and second letter.
FIRST LETTER = YEAR
SECOND LETTER = MONTH (A=January, B=February, C=March, etc.)

First letter:

A — 1978
B — 1979
C — 1980
D — 1981
E — 1982
F — 1983
G — 1984
H — 1985
I — 1986
J — 1987
K — 1988
L — 1989
M — 1990

(From 1990: barcode appeared on the box.)

N — 1991 (letter O not used)
P — 1992 (letter Q probably not used)
R — 1993
S — 1994
T — 1995
U — 1996
V — 1997
W — 1998
X — 1999 (letters Y, Z not used)

Since 2000: the scheme shifts to a numeric code. You have to check the first number, plus some box clues (address, list of ingredients/allergens).

0 — 2000
1 — 2001

(From 2001: address "rue Boissy d'Anglas" appeared on the box.)

2 — 2002
3 — 2003
4 — 2004

(From 2004: full list of ingredients/allergens appeared on the box.)

5 — 2005
6 — 2006
7 — 2007
8 — 2008
9 — 2009
0 — 2010
1 — 2011
2 — 2012
3 — 2013

Please note: this scheme is not certified by anyone; it is only the work of a genuine fragrance lover.

...and remember to see "Tutorial Pics" for some help.


Previously we recognized, batch-by-batch, year-by-year:
-GUERLAIN perfumes ( here )
-YVES SAINT LAURENT perfumes ( here )
-CHRISTIAN  DIOR perfumes  ( here )
-GIORGIO ARMANI Perfumes ( here )
-VAN CLEEF et ARPELS perfumes ( here )
-CHANEL perfumes ( here )

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TUTORIAL PICS

(from Ebay) Amazone, first version (1974-1988)
BA255 = year 1979

Equipage (first version) batch DI690
= year 1981

(from Ebay) Caleche
DD619 = year 1981

Parfum d'Hermès, launched in 1984, batch GIB
= year 1984

Amazone, first version,
batch HC2H = year 1985

BelAmi, batch IF5I
= year 1986  

BelAmi, launched in 1986, batch JA1C
= year 1987

(from Ebay) Parfum d'Hermes, launched in 1984
KC1D = year 1988

Equipage, second version
LE2F = year 1989

(from Ebay) Amazone, second version (since 1989)
MB1F = year 1990.

(Ebay) Amazone,  second version (launched in 1989)
tester box, ML1M = year 1990

(Ebay) Equipage, second version
PG1H = year 1992

(Ebay) Caleche
RG1CS = year 1993

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg, launched in 1995
TD1F = year 1995

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg, batch UC1D
= year 1996

(Ebay) Rocabar (launched in 1998),
batch WG1H = year 1998

(Ebay) BelAmi,
batch WA1B = year 1998

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg, launched in 1995.
XD1E = year 1999

(Ebay) Eau d'Orange Verte
XB1C = year 1999

(Ebay) Hiris, launched during year 1999

XD1G = year 1999

(Ebay) Hermes Rouge, launched in 2000
0F1J = year 2000

Hermes Rouge
0J1A3 = year 2000

(Ebay) BelAmi
batch 1H1J = year 2001

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SINCE 2001-2002
ADRRESS: "23 RUE BOISSY D'ANGLAS"

Hermes Rouge Eau Delicate, launched in 2002,
batch 2G1M = year 2002

(NOTE : ADDRESS 23 RUE BOISSY D'ANGLAS)

(Ebay) Bel Ami
2L1A3= year 2002.

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg,
4K2AG = year 2004

(Ebay) Kelly Caleche, launched in 2007
batch 7EFxx = year 2007

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg
batch 9JAAY = year 2009

(Ebay) Eau d'Orange Verte concentree.
9ACAZ = year 2009

(Ebay) 24 Faubourg, limited edition,
0CABE = year 2010

(Ebay) Jardin Sour le Toit, 
1BB#W  = year 2011

24 Faubourg, plus the long list of ingredients on box (since 2005)
2DAUU = year 2012

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Batch-codes

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