Question about double seal that spans decade

[ccpuffer]

Hi Guys, I have been buying cubans for around 10 years but never seen anything like this. Just received a cardboard box of Dieux 5x5 today. Box code from 2003 but there are 2 seals on there. I know double seals are quite common and would not give it a second thought. But this seems odd since the seals are from different eras. The bottom seal is in the correct era as the box code. But the top seal is from 2010 on wards. Also the serials have been removed so I can't check on habanos website. BTW this is from a reputable vendor. I already emailed them and waiting for reply. What do you guys think? have any of you seen this before?

[Smallclub]

Can you find the word "Revisado" stamped anywhere? That would explain the 2 seals from different years.

[El Presidente]

54 minutes ago, Smallclub said:

Can you find the word "Revisado" stamped anywhere? That would explain the 2 seals from different years.

When you open up the outer, have the inner packs been opened?

[garbandz]

would like to see the warning stamp and the inner top of the box.

that there is a second stamp would indicate these never left Cuba, waiting to see which warning stamp we have.......

am not familiar with 2003 5x5 s to know if the box code was on the outside box, and the format is unusual.

mystery!!

[ccpuffer]

2 hours ago, Smallclub said:

Can you find the word "Revisado" stamped anywhere? That would explain the 2 seals from different years.

Nice point, i did not think about that. However, there is no Revisado stamped anywhere.

1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

When you open up the outer, have the inner packs been opened?

2 of the five packs were opened. I guess maybe they were randomly inspected before putting them up for sell by the vendor/Factory? Well i guess if the inspection took place it had to be in Cuba since vendors should not have Seals available for them to apply to boxes?

29 minutes ago, garbandz said:

would like to see the warning stamp and the inner top of the box.

that there is a second stamp would indicate these never left Cuba, waiting to see which warning stamp we have.......

am not familiar with 2003 5x5 s to know if the box code was on the outside box, and the format is unusual.

mystery!!

No health warning stickers anywhere. Maybe is because they are from Switzerland? Inner top of the box were business as usual with white habano sticker across top corner. small cuban seal on the inner bottom of the 5 individual boxes.

The cigars look good with the correct band and all. All five individual boxes all have matching color wrappers. Transferred them to an empty Dieux SLB to rest and to rid the slight cardboard smell before i light one up. :-)

[Lotusguy]

I've had many boxes from the transitional period 2009ish that have the newer seal with barcode applied over the older seal without barcode. They were all legit. I would not be concerned.

[ccpuffer]

2 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

I've had many boxes from the transitional period 2009ish that have the newer seal with barcode applied over the older seal without barcode. They were all legit. I would not be concerned.

Thanks and agree. I have boxes from around 2009 2010 peroid with both older and newer seals. But this box above is from 2003 so I was a little surprised. But I do trust this vendor 99.9% haha. Wanted to share and see if anyone else seen this sort of thing before.

[GasGuy82]

I recently received a box of 99 SP Molinos from a very reputable vendor some members here order from. That box also has two seals but no revisado stamp. Odd, but as the saying goes, only buy from vendors you trust.

[El Presidente]

14 minutes ago, Lotusguy said:

I've had many boxes from the transitional period 2009ish that have the newer seal with barcode applied over the older seal without barcode. They were all legit. I would not be concerned.

I have seen that plenty of times on cabs and dress. Just haven't seen that to my recollection on CP's. Then again i can't recall coming across a Revisado sticker on a CP outer. 

Mind you I have absolutely no reason to suspect anything other than these are 100% ridgy didge fantastic Dieux!

[ccpuffer]

7 minutes ago, GasGuy82 said:

I recently received a box of 99 SP Molinos from a very reputable vendor some members here order from. That box also has two seals but no revisado stamp. Odd, but as the saying goes, only buy from vendors you trust.

Is the second seal on your 99 Molinos a newer seal with hologram?

[GasGuy82]

On 2/2/2017 at 8:26 PM, ccpuffer said:

Is the second seal on your 99 Molinos a newer seal with hologram?

No, it's the same style as the original band underneath

[dflan82]

I believe that I have some from the same vendor. I've had one already and to me it was very similar to the 2003 Des Dieux that I had earlier this year (despite smoking only a few days after delivery). I'm not an expert by any stretch but below are a few pics for those with a keen eye.

If the rest smoke like the 1st, I'll be a happy camper.

[NSXCIGAR]

Yum...03 Des Dieux!

Certainly a nice find, and as others have noted, the double seals aren't really cause for concern. I would be interested to know the provenance on these, as that may explain the double sticker on 03s. The holographic seals weren't in use until 2009, and the Des Dieux 5 packs were discontinued in 2006. So based on that, I'd have to conclude that these didn't leave Cuba until at least 09, and the 09-11 period was the time when the overlapping seals were common.

[Fugu]

Not that uncommon even for some other pre-2009 boxes. I have it e.g. on a box of SP Sanchos (5er coffins) BYL OCT 05 and boxes of MdO3 of OSU AGO 02 (excellent sticks by the way...). I also found it on one BCG cab of 2007 that obviously sat a little bit longer in Cuba as supposed to. And you saw it a lot on those dreaded '03 cardboard des Dieuxs that swamped market sometime around 2013/14 IIRC.

My suspicion has always been that this is not necessarily related to the 99-02 revisado issue, but is rather concerning some - at that time - hard-to-move stock. That stock had been kept in storage for the time being and likely never left Cuba until they decided to ship and put the new seal on those boxes (as some of the old ones even had already partially fallen off by that time, due to the excellent glue...). Not in any way related to quality issues as to my experience.