Turn over a box of Habanos and you’ll find ink stamps on the bottom. They tell you where the cigars were boxed and when, which matters both for checking a box is genuine and for knowing how much age it has.
The date code
The date is stamped as the first three letters of the month in Spanish, followed by the last two digits of the year. “AGO 19” means August 2019.
- ENE: January
- FEB: February
- MAR: March
- ABR: April
- MAY: May
- JUN: June
- JUL: July
- AGO: August
- SEP: September
- OCT: October
- NOV: November
- DIC: December
The factory code
Above the date is a short code for the factory. Habanos changes these codes from time to time, so an older box may carry a code that’s no longer used. That alone doesn’t mean the box is fake. Codes in use include:
- EL: El Laguito, Havana, home of Cohiba
- HM: Héroes del Moncada, Havana
- FPG: Fernando Pérez Germán, Havana
- FR: Miguel Fernández Roig, Havana
- BM: Briones Montoto, Havana
- JM: José Martí, Havana
- FL: Por Larrañaga, Havana
- TLP: Lázaro Peña, San Antonio
Using the codes
- Dating a box: the date code tells you how long the cigars have been resting. Many collectors prefer boxes with a few years on them.
- Checking a release: an Edición Limitada or Edición Regional should be dated around its release year. A date years earlier is a warning.
- Matching boxes: boxes from the same batch share a date code, which helps when buying several of one cigar.
Box codes are one check among several. See how to spot fake Cuban cigars for the rest.
Aged boxes at fair prices
Many of the boxes we offer come from collections, with years of age on them. Each month’s email lists them with their box codes and prices.
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