Okay, so I bought this Coach bag a while back, and I wanted to check its authenticity. The first thing that came to mind was the serial number. I heard that every genuine Coach bag has a unique serial number, so I went on a hunt to find it.

First, I grabbed the bag and started inspecting it closely. I looked at the seams, the stitching, and the overall quality. Everything seemed fine, but I needed that serial number for peace of mind.
I flipped the bag inside out and checked all the interior pockets. I found a small leather patch with some numbers and letters on it. I initially thought that this must be the serial number, but it just didn’t look right to me. I dug a little deeper into the pockets, and that’s when I found it!
Finding the Creed Patch
I discovered that most Coach bags have a “creed patch.” This is a square piece of leather usually stitched somewhere inside the bag. I pushed aside the lining of one of the pockets, and there it was! A nicely embossed creed patch with a paragraph of text and then, at the very bottom, the serial number. I examined it and it looked legit. But that’s not always the case for every Coach bag.
The Hidden Serial Number Tag
After talking to a friend who’s a bit of a Coach expert, she told me that newer Coach bags might have the serial number on a tiny white tag, not always on the creed patch. This tag is usually hidden inside one of the pockets, often sewn along the bottom seam.
So I grabbed another, newer Coach bag I had. I rummaged through the inside pockets and sure enough, I spotted a small white tag tucked away at the bottom seam of a pocket. This tiny tag had the serial number printed on it. It was so small I almost missed it!

Serial Number Format
From what I gathered, the format of the serial number can vary depending on when the bag was made. Older bags might have an all-numeric serial number, while newer ones usually have a combination of letters and numbers.
- For bags made before the mid-1990s, the serial number was often three numbers, a dash, and then four more numbers (like 123-4567).
- Bags from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s often had a production code and then a style number.
- Newer bags usually have a style number followed by a production code.
After all this searching and comparing, I finally found the serial numbers on my bags. It was a bit of a treasure hunt, but now I feel much better knowing where to look and what to expect. It’s kind of a relief, to be honest. I hope sharing my little adventure helps someone else out there trying to authenticate their Coach bag!