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

[Vlad]

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!

 

[Lake Effect]

Can you explain why it's not authentic? I'm just trying to get more info cause in my hand, the leather feels thick and soft and the stitching look as good as my other vintage Coach. Granted, I don't have a fake on hand to compare it to. I tried to get more opinions and someone mentioned that it looks like it has 'B' plant fonts except for the 'C' so maybe it's an error? Not entirely sure...

I will leave the explaining to the experts, but I wanted to chime in on a point. Don’t go by the quality of the leather alone for authenticity. The counterfeiters got good at using amazing leather and some were skilled at detailing/replicating. I recently handled a fake at a thrift store with such amazing leather and accurate detailing for a Court I took pics and posted it here as a word to the wise.

 

[Hyacinth]

Hi Authenticators!
I think my inquiry post from March 16 was overlooked?
I appreciate if this bag can be authenticated. Thank you so much!

Serial # : B7D-9018
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Genuine Emmie Flap from 1997

 

[BeenBurned]

Good evening Authenticators,
Could you take a look at this Coach bag?
Item: Coach soho bag (not sure if that’s the style name)
Where purchased or how obtained: garage sale
Comments: Thank you in advance!
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It's an authentic mini sig Soho flap bag made in 2004.

 

[BeenBurned]

I have another bag I've held onto for a long time and haven't felt positive about. Another Portland mid-2000s find. Thanks in advance--you really SHOULD be enjoying your weekend--for your expertise!

Coach "City Bag" 9790
Serial number M62-9790 (had to apply cornstarch to read)
Approx 11W x 8H x 3D.

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It's fine, made in 1996.

 

[BeenBurned]

Can you explain why it's not authentic? I'm just trying to get more info cause in my hand, the leather feels thick and soft and the stitching look as good as my other vintage Coach. Granted, I don't have a fake on hand to compare it to. I tried to get more opinions and someone mentioned that it looks like it has 'B' plant fonts except for the 'C' so maybe it's an error? Not entirely sure...

I disagree with whoever believes that it looks like a B plant font. Although there are similarities, it's not the same font.

I believe it's fake because IMO, the serial number stamping and font are incorrect for the year and factory in which it claims to have been made. The problems I see on your bag are identical to problems shown on some other images I have in my files for bags that were deemed to be not authentic.

 

[aqua1117]

Genuine Emmie Flap from 1997

Thank you so much, @Hyacinth !

 

[Hyacinth]

Hello! I found this Coach Station at a secondhand fashion booth recently and was wondering if it's authentic. It's missing the strap but does still have it's hang tag. Thank you!

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Yes, there's something just a tiny bit off about the serial number stamping.

There are just some bags that have to be left as "Questionable" and I'm afaid that may be one of them.

Can you explain why it's not authentic? I'm just trying to get more info cause in my hand, the leather feels thick and soft and the stitching look as good as my other vintage Coach. Granted, I don't have a fake on hand to compare it to. I tried to get more opinions and someone mentioned that it looks like it has 'B' plant fonts except for the 'C' so maybe it's an error? Not entirely sure...

The problems are the differences in the "C" plant code and also the length of the underscore under the small "o" in the "No" between the questionable bag here:



and several genuine bags in different styles but made in the same plant, month and year (the differences in what we call the "overstamping" lines above and below some of the serial number digits among the various bags aren't important in this situation, they're affected by how malleable or soft the leather is and how much pressure the leatherworker applies to the stamping mechanism).

The too-long underscore in the questionable bag's "No" is a big red flag.

 

[ciaodenny]

Hello! Would like to know if this bag is authentic.
Purchased at savers
MEASURES 11" H X 15.5" L X 3" D

 

[Hyacinth]

Hello! Would like to know if this bag is authentic.
Purchased at savers
MEASURES 11" H X 15.5" L X 3" D

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Genuine Metropolitan Brief made in 1994

 

[DL Harper]

It's authentic. I don't know what caused the color variation. Sometimes this happened because the trim leather took the dye differently from the other leather.

Another reason for the different shades of a bag could be because a single bag may not have all parts made from the same piece of hide. And different breeds of cows (assuming Coach and other makers do not use a single breed) may have hide that takes dye differently. Just a thought.
(Think of people and how parts of the body may tan differently as well as skin shade from person to person and how tans vary there as well.)

 

[BeenBurned]

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It's authentic. I don't know what caused the color variation. Sometimes this happened because the trim leather took the dye differently from the other leather.

Another reason for the different shades of a bag could be because a single bag may not have all parts made from the same piece of hide. And different breeds of cows (assuming Coach and other makers do not use a single breed) may have hide that takes dye differently. Just a thought.
(Think of people and how parts of the body may tan differently as well as skin shade from person to person and how tans vary there as well.)

FWIW, I think the color is lovely. It looks intentional, like spectator multi-color.

 

[ConnieinSeattle]

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Hi, Barney! The color variations make your bag beautiful, unique and eye-catching. Love it. PS: Not an authenticator, but I think in the photos for authentication they want the back side of the other piece of the turnlock. What they call the "female" side.

 

[Busykitty]

Yes, there's something just a tiny bit off about the serial number stamping.

There are just some bags that have to be left as "Questionable" and I'm afaid that may be one of them.

I’m not trying to authenticate anything here but could the prefix be transposed? Should it potentially read C8A? Just throwing that out there.

 

[Hyacinth]

I’m not trying to authenticate anything here but could the prefix be transposed? Should it potentially read C8A? Just throwing that out there.

Interesting idea, but I don't think so. By 1998 the A plant was almost completely shut down as a production site except for small emergency runs and samples.There are no month codes more recent than A for 1998 that I've been able to find and the font used in the style numbers that I've found is different than in the bag being questioned, and 2 out of 3 genuine ones have the hyphen in the wrong place. These are the only ones in my files:








ETA - And here's the questionable bag for comparison. Also, look at the "t" in "completely", it's jammed in between 2 "e" and is half the width of the other letters. Coach doesn't make mistakes like that in genuine creed stamps. Then compare it to the other "t"s in the creed stamp.



from a slightly different position:

 

[Busykitty]

Interesting idea, but I don't think so. By 1998 the A plant was almost completely shut down as a production site except for small emergency runs and samples.There are no month codes more recent than A for 1998 that I've been able to find and the font used in the style numbers that I've found is different than in the bag being questioned, and 2 out of 3 genuine ones have the hyphen in the wrong place. These are the only ones in my files:

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ETA - And here's the questionable bag for comparison.

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I have a 1997 A plant sample Ergo…here’s the creeds. The hyphen is correct in this example.
ETA: The T in completely appears squashed because the creed itself is bent. The entire piece of leather is a bit concaved so anything in that bend appears somewhat squashed. Just my observation.