Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas: Speedy and Neverfull

Date codes before 2021 and microchips after, the heat stamp, Vachetta leather and how the monogram should fall on the Speedy and Neverfull.

These guides describe what reputable authenticators and the houses themselves have published. They are a starting point for reading a piece, not a verdict. Counterfeits change quickly, and no single feature proves a piece genuine. For any significant purchase or sale, use a professional authenticator.

Fashionphile calls Louis Vuitton the most counterfeited name in luxury, and the Monogram canvas Speedy (introduced in 1930) and Neverfull (2007) are the pieces most often copied. The canvas is coated cotton canvas rather than leather, trimmed in natural Vachetta cowhide.

Date codes, until 2021

From the 1980s Louis Vuitton marked most leather goods with a date code: letters for the workshop, numbers for the date. Fashionphile explains that from 2007 the code is two letters followed by four numbers, where the first and third digits give the week and the second and fourth the year; earlier codes used the digits for the month. The letters must agree with the "made in" country on the heat stamp: a France workshop code on a bag stamped Made in Spain is wrong. The code is usually heat-stamped on a small leather tab inside, on a seam, or on the lining. Counterfeits routinely carry correctly formatted date codes, so a plausible code is necessary but never sufficient.

Microchips, from 2021

From around March 2021 Louis Vuitton began replacing date codes with an RFID microchip sewn into the lining. It cannot be seen and there is no public app to read it; only the house can. A Neverfull made in 2023 with no date code is therefore normal. A bag that claims to be recent but carries a 2022 date code is not.

The heat stamp

Inside, the stamp should read "LOUIS VUITTON" with the ® symbol, "Paris" and "made in" followed by the country, with "made in" in lowercase and the country capitalised. Fashionphile notes that on genuine stamps the O's are round and the lettering is evenly spaced and pressed to an even depth; fakes vary in depth, size and spacing.

Canvas and pattern

The canvas should be consistent in colour and texture, with the LV and flower motifs crisp. On the Speedy the canvas is one continuous piece wrapped around the bag, so the monogram appears upside down on one face; that is correct. Pattern placement is otherwise symmetrical, and logos should not be sliced awkwardly at the main seams.

Vachetta and stitching

Vachetta is untreated and darkens to honey with light and handling. Genuine edges are finished in a mustard-red glazing. Stitching is even and consistent in count along the handle tabs; mismatched counts from one side to the other, loose thread or a too-dark, plasticky handle on a "new" bag are tells.

Hardware and packaging

Zip pulls, rivets and the padlock should be cleanly engraved. Dust bags, boxes and receipts are widely copied and prove little.

When to get a professional opinion

The volume of fakes makes a professional check worthwhile on almost any pre-owned Louis Vuitton. Fashionphile, Rebag and The RealReal authenticate everything they sell, and The RealReal uses Entrupy's microscope-based scanning alongside its own staff.

For a full year chart and lookup, see Louis Vuitton date codes.

Genuine and counterfeit, side by side

Point	Genuine	Counterfeit
Date code	Workshop letters agree with the 'made in' country; digits fit the era (week and year from 2007).	Workshop letters for the wrong country; a date code on a bag made after early 2021.
Heat stamp	Round O's, even depth, lowercase 'made in'.	Thin or oval letters, uneven depth, capitalised 'Made In'.
Speedy canvas	One piece, so the monogram is upside down on one side.	Seam at the base with the pattern upright on both faces.
Vachetta	Pale when new, darkening evenly; mustard-red edge glaze.	Pre-darkened or plasticky leather; dark, sloppy edges.