Dating Chanel No. 5: A Guide To The Timeless Scent

Chanel No. 5 is a timeless, legendary fragrance in a radically minimal bottle. The perfume was first launched in 1921 by French couturier Gabrielle Coco Chanel. The scent was compounded by French-Russian chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. The design of the bottle has been an important part of the product's branding.

Dating a bottle of Chanel No. 5 can be a tricky task, as the batch codes were odd, complicated, and sometimes non-existent in the early bottles. However, here are some tips to help you narrow down the age of your bottle:

- Check the style of the box or label. Art Nouveau styles were typically used from 1900 to 1920, Art Deco from the mid-1920s to the 1940s, and psychedelic styles from the late 1960s to early 1970s.

- Look for a patent number on the base of the bottle. Patent dates were frequent in the 1930s and 1940s, and you can look up the number on US patent webpages.

- Older bottles from the 1930s to 1940s often had lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, or patent numbers embossed into the glass base.

- From 1970 onwards, cosmetic companies started stamping coloured numbers on the bottom of their products, indicating the year and month of creation.

- The presence of clear labels indicating contents were first used around the 1950s.

- If your bottle has a label stating SDA (Specially Denatured Alcohol), it likely dates to the 1940s or 1950s.

- A zip code on the label indicates the bottle is from 1962 or later.

- Older bottles were sealed with onion skin, viscose, or thin celluloid in colours like red, clear, or blue.

- Bakelite screw caps were commonly used from the 1930s to 1950s.

- Lucite caps were introduced in the late 1930s and tend to become yellowed or discoloured over time.

- Chanel bottles made by Pochet et du Courval in France after 1930 will have an embossed entwined HP mark on the base.

- Brosse of France started making Chanel bottles in the 1920s and switched from hand-ground stoppers to precision machine grinding in 1963.

Check the label and box design

The label and box design of Chanel No. 5 has changed over the years, but the bottle has remained mostly the same since its 1924 redesign. The first bottle, produced in 1922, had small, delicate, rounded shoulders and was sold only in Chanel boutiques to select clients. In 1924, when "Parfums Chanel" incorporated, the glass proved too thin to survive shipping and distribution, so the bottle was modified with square, faceted corners, its only significant design change.

The label's design and logo that we know today appeared on the bottle for the first time in 1970, the year that the CHANEL typeface was created and formalized. The label is now smaller and gives greater visual prominence to the N°5 trademark associated with CHANEL.

Look for a patent number on the base of the bottle

Looking for a patent number on the base of the bottle is a great way to date your Chanel No. 5 cologne. These patent dates were frequent in the 1930s and 1940s, and you can look up the number on US patent webpages online.

If the number is prefixed with the letter "D", this means it is a design patent. English Registry Design numbers can also be found on perfume bottles from the United Kingdom, and you can search these numbers online as well.

Older bottles from the 1930s and 1940s may have lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, or patent numbers embossed right into the glass base. These are generally American-made bottles, but British-made bottles may have English Registry numbers, which are prefixed with "Rd" or "Rgd".

If you find a patent number on the base of your bottle, this is a great way to date your Chanel No. 5 cologne and confirm its authenticity.

Check for matching etched numbers on the base of the perfume bottle and the bottom of the stopper

Old glass bottles might have etched matching numbers on the base of the perfume bottle and on the bottom of the stopper. This was done at the factory when the stopper would have been ground to fit the bottle, the numbers are to show which bottle goes with the right stopper. These were usually found on French bottles such as Baccarat.

Remember, just because there are incised numbers, it doesn't automatically mean it is Baccarat. It is entirely possible to find mismatched bases and stoppers, this usually happens from employee error, but can also happen later in the bottle's life, when someone tries to replace a broken or missing stopper and finds a loose one floating around on the market.

Check for stickers or stamps indicating origin

When dating a bottle of Chanel No. 5 cologne, checking for stickers or stamps indicating origin is a crucial step. Here are some detailed instructions to guide you through this process:

Firstly, carefully examine the base of the bottle. Older bottles from the 1930s to 1940s often had lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, or patent numbers embossed or stamped onto the glass base. These markings can provide valuable information about the bottle's origin and age. Additionally, look for any etched matching numbers on both the base of the bottle and the bottom of the stopper. This practice was common in older French bottles to ensure the correct stopper was paired with its corresponding bottle.

Next, inspect the labels on the bottle and box for any stickers or stamps. In the 1940s, stickers began to replace stamps as a means of indicating origin. However, these early stickers were prone to being lost or destroyed, making it challenging to authenticate the bottle. Nevertheless, some stickers or stamps to look out for include "Made in Occupied Japan", which indicates the bottle was produced between September 1945 and April 1952. Also, keep an eye out for stickers with a number and the initials "TDSP", which stand for "Tratado sobre el Derecho Sustantivo de Patentes" (Substantive Patent Law Treaty). These were found on bottles destined for the Mexican market in the 1930s and 1940s.

Furthermore, pay attention to the style and condition of the labels. Older labels from the early 20th century may use the word "drams" to indicate volume, which is equal to about 5 ml or 1/8 oz. Additionally, clear labels indicating contents, such as "SDA" (Specially Denatured Alcohol), were first used in the 1950s. If the label mentions that the perfume was "created/compounded/assembled" in France or the USA, it likely dates to the 1950s or later.

Lastly, consider the style of the box or label artwork. Art Nouveau styles were typically used from 1900 to the 1920s, while Art Deco styles were popular in the mid-1920s and sometimes carried into the 1940s. Psychedelic designs, on the other hand, were prevalent in the late 1960s to early 1970s. While these stylistic cues are not foolproof for dating, they can provide additional context when combined with other indicators.

Check for lot numbers, bottle shape numbers or patent numbers embossed on the glass base

When it comes to dating a bottle of perfume, it is important to check for lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, or patent numbers that may be embossed on the glass base. These details can provide valuable insights into the age of the bottle, especially for those manufactured in the 1930s and 1940s.

Lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, and patent numbers were commonly embossed directly into the glass base of older perfume bottles, particularly those produced in the 1930s and 1940s. These markings serve as a unique identifier for each batch of perfume produced. By looking up these numbers, you can often uncover information about the production date and the specific batch your bottle belongs to. This can be extremely helpful in narrowing down the timeframe during which your bottle of Chanel No. 5 cologne was produced.

To decipher these codes, you can utilise online resources. US patent webpages and online search engines can aid in deciphering patent numbers found on the base of perfume bottles. Additionally, English Registry Design numbers, commonly found on perfume bottles from the United Kingdom, can also be searched online to reveal more information. These resources can help translate these embossed codes into meaningful insights about the production date and origin of your perfume bottle.

It is worth noting that the presence of these embossed codes may vary depending on the brand and the era in which the perfume was produced. Some brands, such as Chanel, are known to have their batch codes engraved into the glass in more recent times. Nonetheless, checking for lot numbers, bottle shape numbers, or patent numbers on the glass base is a crucial step in dating a bottle of perfume, especially vintage fragrances like Chanel No. 5 cologne.

Frequently asked questions