Authenticate This COACH - **see first post for format**

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#47,869
IMPORTANT READ-ME

Please post authenticity questions related to COACH in this thread. No PMs please.
For further information, please refer to the first post on page 1 of this thread.

Please follow the following requests:
  • Before you submit a request for authentication, please search this thread to make sure that the item has not previously been authenticated by searching the seller ID and/or item number. This is not a thread to ask general questions about COACH, please refer to our main Coach forum for such information.
  • Note that authenticators have the right to refuse any requests. This is a free service, but it is imperative that you help our authenticators by using the following format:
  • FOR ITEMS LISTED ONLINE:
    Item:
    Listing number:
    Seller and site where listed
    Link:
    Comments:

  • FOR ITEMS NOT LISTED ONLINE:
    Item:
    Where purchased or how obtained
    Comments:
BASIC PICTURES REQUIRED (but more may be requested): If necessary pictures are in the listing, it's not necessary to upload and duplicate them.
  • Front of item
  • Back of item
  • Full clear and legible creed text and serial number
  • Made in tags (when available)
  • Measurements
  • For bags with turnlock closures, show pictures of back of female side of turnlock
  • For bags with magnetic snaps, show pictures of the male part of the snap so that the numbers and letters on it can be read
  • If applicable, search interior of bag and/or pockets for small white tag with production information and include a picture of that.
Thank you and be safe!
 
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#37,640
Please authenticate:

1.
Court 9870 black
link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Co...Leather-Clutch-Bag-Pouch-9-5-x-8/153504288400
seller:1949mcdonald
ID: 153504288400

2.
zip tote 4155 brown? british tan?
link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Vintage-1980s-Large-Brown-Tan-Soho-Zip-Tote-K6C-4155/273861553124
seller:breezejeanqueen
ID:273861553124
Comments:
Any opinion on the color? some photo look brown, some tan, but I only own very dark brown/mahogany items so am not exactly sure what I'm looking at here.

Does anyone have a catalog pic of this item? I'd like to see in what other colors this was made.

Thank you!
 
#37,641
hetha2001 said:
Please authenticate:

1.
Court 9870 black
link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Co...Leather-Clutch-Bag-Pouch-9-5-x-8/153504288400
seller:1949mcdonald
ID: 153504288400

2.
zip tote 4155 brown? british tan?
link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Vintage-1980s-Large-Brown-Tan-Soho-Zip-Tote-K6C-4155/273861553124
seller:breezejeanqueen
ID:273861553124
Comments:
Any opinion on the color? some photo look brown, some tan, but I only own very dark brown/mahogany items so am not exactly sure what I'm looking at here.

Does anyone have a catalog pic of this item? I'd like to see in what other colors this was made.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Both are authentic.
 
#37,642
hetha2001 said:
Please authenticate:
...
2.
zip tote 4155 brown? british tan?
link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Vintage-1980s-Large-Brown-Tan-Soho-Zip-Tote-K6C-4155/273861553124
seller:breezejeanqueen
ID:273861553124
Comments:
Any opinion on the color? some photo look brown, some tan, but I only own very dark brown/mahogany items so am not exactly sure what I'm looking at here.

Does anyone have a catalog pic of this item? I'd like to see in what other colors this was made.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

The date code in the one in the listing is October 1996. The Fall 1996 catalog, as well as the other 1996 catalogs, lists the available colors as Mahogany, Black, British Tan, Navy and Red. The Early Spring 1997 book lists the same colors.

Since the seller descibes a bag with an October 1996 date code as "1980s" it's a safe assumption that they can't be depended on to know the correct color description either.
 
#37,643
  • Item: Coach Leather Brown Briefcase
    Listing number: 68997746
  • Seller: Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, Oakland, Fairfield CA
    Link: https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/68997746
  • Comments: I searched L5H-5180 and found some posts from the authenticators from Aug 2015 discussing this serial number. Some of the pictures from those posts either wouldn't load (slow internet issues?) or are gone. Would you mind looking at it, any help is greatly appreciated!
  • Also was 95 the last year before they switched the turnlock hardware shape ? Thank You!
 
#37,644
picklejuice said:
  • Item: Coach Leather Brown Briefcase
    Listing number: 68997746
  • Seller: Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, Oakland, Fairfield CA
    Link: https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/68997746
  • Comments: I searched L5H-5180 and found some posts from the authenticators from Aug 2015 discussing this serial number. Some of the pictures from those posts either wouldn't load (slow internet issues?) or are gone. Would you mind looking at it, any help is greatly appreciated!
  • Also was 95 the last year before they switched the turnlock hardware shape ? Thank You!
Click to expand...


There are 2 or 3 other 5180 briefcases in my files with the same creed and serial details, which are a bit different from the serials used during that late 1995 time period in handbags, such as the length of the underline under the "No". I don't remember ever seeing any red flags in the details of the briefcases themselves other than the slight differences in the serial numbers. But I'm not a briefcase specialist and have very few photos of their details. It's PROBABLY genuine but other opinions are welcome. I don't think the serial differences in one specific line of bags is enough in this case to believe that it isn't correct. It's very possible that since "H" was apparently a "floater" plant code, whichever plant it might have been assigned to in those last few months of 1995 was using a slightly different serial number stamp. The fact that several different month codes were used, K5H and L5H, seems to make it more likely to be a genuine stamp.

As for the turnlock change, it's hard to pin down an exact month but all of the (very few) 1996 briefcases in my photo files have the redesigned turnlock so it was probably changed very close to the beginning of the 1996 calendar year.
 
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#37,645
I appreciate you looking at it and including the info about the serial numbers and the bit about the H plant, I was curious about that too!
Thank you!
edit-I forgot to hit "reply" sorry for the double post
 
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#37,646
Hyacinth said:
There are 2 or 3 other 5180 briefcases in my files with the same creed and serial details, which are a bit different from the serials used during that late 1995 time period in handbags, such as the length of the underline under the "No". I don't remember ever seeing any red flags in the details of the briefcases themselves other than the slight differences in the serial numbers. But I'm not a briefcase specialist and have very few photos of their details. It's PROBABLY genuine but other opinions are welcome. I don't think the serial differences in one specific line of bags is enough in this case to believe that it isn't correct. It's very possible that since "H" was apparently a "floater" plant code, whichever plant it might have been assigned to in those last few months of 1995 was using a slightly different serial number stamp. The fact that several different month codes were used, K5H and L5H, seems to make it more likely to be a genuine stamp.

As for the turnlock change, it's hard to pin down an exact month but all of the (very few) 1996 briefcases in my photo files have the redesigned turnlock so it was probably changed very close to the beginning of the 1996 calendar year.
Click to expand...
I appreciate you looking at it and including the info about the serial numbers and the bit about the H plant, I was curious about that too!
Thank you!
 
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#37,647
picklejuice said:
  • Item: Coach Leather Brown Briefcase
    Listing number: 68997746
  • Seller: Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay, Oakland, Fairfield CA
    Link: https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/68997746
  • Comments: I searched L5H-5180 and found some posts from the authenticators from Aug 2015 discussing this serial number. Some of the pictures from those posts either wouldn't load (slow internet issues?) or are gone. Would you mind looking at it, any help is greatly appreciated!
  • Also was 95 the last year before they switched the turnlock hardware shape ? Thank You!
Click to expand...

Hyacinth said:
There are 2 or 3 other 5180 briefcases in my files with the same creed and serial details, which are a bit different from the serials used during that late 1995 time period in handbags, such as the length of the underline under the "No". I don't remember ever seeing any red flags in the details of the briefcases themselves other than the slight differences in the serial numbers. But I'm not a briefcase specialist and have very few photos of their details. It's PROBABLY genuine but other opinions are welcome. I don't think the serial differences in one specific line of bags is enough in this case to believe that it isn't correct. It's very possible that since "H" was apparently a "floater" plant code, whichever plant it might have been assigned to in those last few months of 1995 was using a slightly different serial number stamp. The fact that several different month codes were used, K5H and L5H, seems to make it more likely to be a genuine stamp.

As for the turnlock change, it's hard to pin down an exact month but all of the (very few) 1996 briefcases in my photo files have the redesigned turnlock so it was probably changed very close to the beginning of the 1996 calendar year.
Click to expand...
Here's another of the identical bag and serial number and the font is also identical:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Vint...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

First is Goodwill creed, second is comp.
L5H-5180 goodwill coach creed.jpg L5H-5180 coach creed comp 1.jpg
 
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#37,650
BeenBurned said:
Here's another of the identical bag and serial number and the font is also identical:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COACH-Vintage-Black-Leather-Briefcase-Messenger-Bag-L5H-5180-/202684937056?hash=item2f30f6b360:g:gjMAAOSwqYRcvQgY&nma=true&si=R1KZE2gbI7%2FqXEL4yI4b6utHkH8%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

First is Goodwill creed, second is comp.
View attachment 4448237 View attachment 4448236
Click to expand...

And here's one from a year later with exactly the same serial font, plus the correct creed wording for the fabric and the new turnlock design. There's no doubt in my mind that the 5320 brief is completely genuine:
1996_H plant-US_K6H-5320-X-stamp-a.jpg 1996_H plant-US_K6H-5320-full flap brief -b.jpg

and here's a different 5320 from 1996, this one has an outlet stamp:
1996_H-plant-outlet-M6H-5320-a.jpg

All of them were stamped by the same serial number stamp and all the details of all the briefcases are correct. The H plant code was definitely used in briefcases in late 1995 and 1996, and maybe longer.

AND - the serial fonts for the handbags and the briefcases apparently WERE different, here's the same prefix with differences in the font from a handbag:
1996_H-plant_M6H-7301_HANDBAG FONT-a.jpg

which seems to confirm something I've suspected for a while - different lines or different families like handbags vs briefcases, classic leathers vs Sonomas, sometimes may have used different serial number stamps even though the serial prefix codes were the same. Another one of Coach's mysteries.
 
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