The Neverfull arrived in 2007 and became the default luxury tote of its era, which makes it unusual in this catalog: a modern icon whose entire life is documented in the date-code record. Every Neverfull made before March 2021 carries a code; every one made after carries a microchip instead. One model, both eras, which makes it the perfect bag to understand the transition on.
Its ubiquity made it superfake central: the Neverfull is counterfeited at every quality level, including fakes with plausible date codes in the correct format. The doctrine holds. The code dates; it does not authenticate. Canvas alignment, strap construction, stitch count and heat-stamp typography carry the verdict, and for a bag at this price level the platform authentication lane earns its keep.
The modern default and the counterfeiters' volume business. A used Neverfull is one of the most liquid purchases in luxury, and the discipline is mechanical: date the code or confirm the chip era, make every physical detail agree, and route the purchase through authentication. Boring process, reliable outcome.
Louis Vuitton runs neck and neck with Chanel for most-counterfeited maison, and the fakes span every era and quality level, date codes included. The doctrine: a date code is not authentication. Decode it, then demand agreement everywhere else - the factory letters must match the made-in stamp, the code's era must match the canvas, lining and hardware, vachetta patina must look lived rather than manufactured, and the heat stamp's typography is the counterfeiters' most common stumble. For any serious purchase, route through a platform authentication program.
Model histories and date-code systems compiled from documented maison history, resale-industry authentication references, and period documentation, cross-checked across independent sources.