Blind stamp basics

A stamp indicating the production year; the surrounding shape plus a letter encode the era.

・1945–1970: a letter with no shape (A=1945 … Z=1970)

・1971–1996: a letter inside a circle (A=1971 … Z=1996)

・1997–2014: a letter inside a square (A=1997 … R=2014; only A–R used)

・2015–present: no shape again, but non-sequential (e.g. T=2015, X=2016, A=2017). The stamp format itself has also changed in recent years.

Year mapping seeded from resellers' date-stamp guides (LA FORMA / Madison Avenue Couture). Transitions around 2014 and recent formats vary by piece; confirm with an expert.

A stamp alone cannot prove authenticity. Judge leather, hardware, stitching together. Educational only — not authentication.