Authentication

Coach used the same brass turnlock for 60 years and the same glove-tanned cowhide for 40. Authenticating a vintage bag isn't about spotting a single fake-tell — it's about checking that the creed wording, country of origin, serial format, hardware, and construction all sit inside the same era window. Mismatches across those windows are how counterfeits give themselves away.

The principle: no single signal is sufficient. A wrong-era turnlock could be a Coach Repair replacement on an otherwise authentic bag. A wrong-era creed alone could be the same. Two or more independent mismatches cannot share a single explanation, and that's when fakes show.

Authenticate a bag

Start the wizard six questions, cross-checked across era windows

Or pick the path that fits how you work:

• Wizard Step-through · 6 questions · cross-checked
• Printable decision tree One-page reference for offline use
• Era × feature matrix Cross-cut signal table
• Inspection toolkit Tools, lighting, what you don't need
• Canonical photo set Printable checklist · 25 shots