Free Tool
Bottega Veneta Serial Number Checker
Decode a Bottega Veneta interior tag: style number, colour code, and — on pre-2012 two-line tags — the year of manufacture from the EPEV line. Newer tags carry a single proprietary code with no readable date. Then compare the tag against the authenticity card.
Enter the code from the leather tag
It is on the small white label sewn inside the bag, under “ORIGINALITY CERTIFIED”. On a pre-2012 tag it is two lines — a style number and 4-digit colour code on the first, an EPEV year line on the second. Enter both, separated by a slash. On a newer bag it is one longer code. Example: 181140 1000 / EPEV 2009 1234.
A correct code format is the easy part to fake.
Bottega Veneta tag formats are documented by collectors, not by the brand, and counterfeiters produce matching card-and-bag sets. A decoded year or colour is a data point, not a verdict — the intrecciato weave is where authenticity is decided. Get a professional authentication →
Tag Code Formats
Bottega Veneta changed its tag format around 2010–2012. Pre-2012 tags are two lines and the second one carries a year; post-2012 tags are a single code with no readable date.
| Format |
|---|
| Pre-2012 · line 1 |
| Pre-2012 · line 2 |
| ~2012 onward |
Where the year comes from — and how much to trust it
Bottega Veneta publishes nothing about its tag codes. The reading that the EPEV line on a pre-2012 tag carries the year of manufacture, and the colour-code names, come from third-party authentication guides — cross-checked but not brand-confirmed. Treat a decoded year as a supporting data point, not proof. On a post-2012 bag there is no year to read at all; date it from the hardware, the lining, the logo stamp, and the weave.
What the Tag Should Show, and What the Code Cannot Check
| Element | Authentic | Counterfeit |
|---|---|---|
| Style + colour line | 5–6 style digits then a 4-digit colour code, embossed cleanly and evenly | Wrong length, surface-printed, uneven or shallow stamping |
| EPEV date line (pre-2012) | EPEV, a plausible year, a lot number | Missing on an older bag, or a year that contradicts the bag's design |
| Authenticity card | Cream card, number identical to the tag | Missing, wrong colour, or a number that does not match |
| Tag stitching | Even, tight, aligned with the tag edge | Loose, crooked, uneven gauge |
The card must match the bag
Where a bag still has its cream authenticity card, the number on the card and the number on the tag must be identical. A card that does not match its bag is one of the most common resale problems, and no format check can see it — which is why the tool above asks for both.
The code checked out. What next?
Read does a serial number prove a bag is authentic? for why the tag code is one signal among many, then get the bag examined for the intrecciato weave, tag stitching and leather checks a code cannot make.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is the serial number on a Bottega Veneta bag?
- It is on the small white label sewn inside the bag, under “ORIGINALITY CERTIFIED”. On a pre-2012 tag it runs across two lines: a style number and a 4-digit colour code on the first, an “EPEV” line carrying the year and a lot number on the second. On bags from around 2012 on it is a single longer alphanumeric code.
- Can a Bottega Veneta code tell me when the bag was made?
- Only on pre-2012 two-line tags. The second line begins with “EPEV” and, according to third-party authentication guides, the digits after it are the year of manufacture followed by a lot number. Bottega Veneta does not publish this, so treat the year as a supporting data point rather than proof. Post-2012 single-line codes carry no readable date at all.
- What does the colour code on a Bottega Veneta tag mean?
- On a pre-2012 tag the last four digits of the first line are a colour code. Documented values include 1000 for Nero (black), 2072 for Ebano, 7810 for Camel, 4261 for Cobalt, 6178 for Burgundy and 9340 for Cream. The list is not exhaustive and comes from collector references, not from Bottega Veneta.
- Does the authenticity card number have to match the bag?
- Yes. Where a bag still has its cream authenticity card, the number on the card and the number on the leather tag must be identical. A card that does not belong to its bag is one of the most common resale problems, and no format check can detect it — which is why the tool asks for both numbers and compares them.
- Does a correct Bottega Veneta code prove the bag is genuine?
- No. The tag formats are documented and counterfeiters reproduce them, including matching card-and-bag sets and plausible EPEV year lines. A correctly shaped code, or a decoded year, is a starting point. What actually authenticates a Bottega Veneta bag is the intrecciato weave — its tension, the width of the leather strips, how the ends are finished — along with the tag stitching and the leather itself.