Short answer
A fake Chanel 19 lambskin bag is a counterfeit copy of the Chanel 19, a handbag Chanel released in 2019. Lambskin is sheep leather. The authentic bag is made in France or Italy and sold in Chanel boutiques and a small number of department stores. Chanel does not sell handbags on its own website. An authentic small Chanel 19 in lambskin cost about $6,400 USD at retail in 2024. Counterfeits sell from $80 to $600. Chanel authorizes none of them. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime in the United States.
What the Chanel 19 is
Chanel named the bag for 2019 and for August 19, Coco Chanel's birthday. Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard designed it. Viard completed the design after Lagerfeld died in February 2019. The bag has a flap front, a rectangular CC clasp, a top handle, and a thick chain. The chain mixes three hardware finishes: gold tone, silver tone, and ruthenium tone. Sizes at launch were small, medium, and large. Lambskin is the softest leather in the line. A fingernail leaves a mark on it. That mark is a property of the hide, not a defect.
How fakes pass as lambskin
Real lambskin is full-grain sheep hide with a light finish. It drapes and folds without a hard crease. Many counterfeits use split leather with a plastic top coat, or polyurethane. Check four points.
- Smell. Real leather smells like hide. Coated fakes smell like plastic or glue.
- Grain. Printed grain repeats in a pattern. Natural grain does not repeat.
- Edge paint. Fake edge paint sits thick and rubbery. Real edge paint is thin and sealed.
- Weight. The Chanel 19 chain is solid and heavy. Counterfeit chains are hollow and light.
Serial numbers and chips
Chanel bags made from 1986 to 2021 carry a hologram sticker with an eight-digit serial number. From 2021, Chanel replaced the sticker with a metal plate that holds a chip. A Chanel 19 from 2019 to 2021 carries a sticker, and the number must match the number on the authenticity card. Counterfeit sellers reuse one serial number across large batches. A repeated number on two bags means at least one bag is fake.
Price and legal facts
An authentic Chanel 19 in lambskin resells for $4,000 to $7,000 USD, based on size, year, and condition. Boutique prices rose across 2021 through 2024. Resale platforms such as The RealReal authenticate each item and reject counterfeits. Under 18 U.S.C. Section 2320, a first offense for trafficking in counterfeit goods carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine for an individual. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit shipments at ports of entry. A buyer of a seized shipment loses the bag and the money.
Common questions
- Is a $300 Chanel 19 lambskin real? No. The leather alone costs more than that.
- Does Chanel sell online? No. Handbags come from boutiques and select department stores.
- Can I resell a counterfeit? No. Sale of counterfeit goods is illegal in the US.
- Is lambskin durable? It is the most fragile leather Chanel uses. It marks and scuffs with light contact.