Hermès date stamps by year

1997-present, letters are encased in a Square		1996 – 1971 letters are encased in a Circle		1945-1970 have no geometric shape
2014	R	1996	Z	1970	Z
2013	Q	1995	Y	1969	Y
2012	P	1994	X	1968	X
2011	O	1993	W	1967	W
2010	N	1992	V	1966	V
2009	M	1991	U	1965	U
2008	L	1990	T	1964	T
2007	K	1989	S	1963	S
2006	J	1988	R	1962	R
2005	I	1987	Q	1961	Q
2004	H	1986	P	1960	P
2003	G	1985	O	1959	O
2002	F	1984	N	1958	N
2001	E	1983	M	1957	M
2000	D	1982	L	1956	L
1999	C	1981	K	1955	K
1998	B	1980	J	1954	J
1997	A	1979	I	1953	I
		1978	H	1952	H
		1977	G	1951	G
		1976	F	1950	F
		1975	E	1949	E
		1974	D	1948	D
		1973	C	1947	C
		1972	B	1946	B
		1971	A	1945	A

Hermès date stamps are marked in Hermès bags together with a craftsman ID stamp. Each letter represents the year the item was made.

From 1945, Hermès stamped their bags without a shape. From 1971, Hermès started encasing the letter in a shape.

Exotic materials have special stamps:

•      a square represents alligator skin;
•      double dots (..) represents Niloticus Crocodile;
•      caret (^) represents Porosus Crocodile;
•     hyphen (-) represents lizard skin.