Cohiba 1966 EL 2011 Suspect box

[HabanosEspaña]

Inherited box from an Uncle. He has always only bought from habanos dealers around the world but mostly from the only 2 cigar stores in Ireland. He bought these when they were released in Ireland circa 2011/2012 from one of these stores which I will not mention and has had them ever since. My suspicions lie mainly with the outer cardboard box because. 

1. I’ve never seen this type of barcode on an actual box, only ever on the habanos checker website. 
2. Unless I am entering the code wrong somehow I’m getting no results with the habanos checker. When I click the first type barcode and enter the 13 digits as i see them I’m getting no results.

3. Did a UV check with a homemade black light (blue glove over iPhone light) can’t see anything really but in saying that I’ve had newer and older boxes bought from Lcdh and famous stores that have failed too so can the I’ve seal be rubbed off with a lot of touching or fade over time?

4. There is no date code on the inside of the cardboard box as with all the other 1966 boxes I’ve seen. This is the only box I’ve seen that has the date code on the bottom of the cedar box all the rest only seem to have it inside the cardboard not on the wooden box. 
 

The wooden box seems legit to me . Cedar is spot on , sticker on inside is embossed in the right places, all correct information card and habanos cert, cigars are all pig tailed, uniform size , good filler , bands are legit and the smell is incredible.  As I said I just don’t know if I have a poor quality controlled cardboard box and legit wooden box and cigars or very very good fakes ..I don’t know so I’ll leave it up to you the jury. I have heard that some fake boxes have different sizes etc so if anyone has a box could they measure it and I’ll be able to add another clue to my confusion 😂😂

 

[Puros Y Vino]

A quick check on Habanos says "It is not official from Habanos".

So. Strike 1.

The different wrapper hues on the cigars themselves are a bad sign as well.  When the 1966's came out, there were a lot of house/custom rolls of these made.  I suspect many found their way into legit boxes for fraudulent purposes.

The outer and wooden box look correct. The outer box was made too large and doesn't fit the inner box. I suspect these components are re-used.  

The box code/date stamp looks suspect.  IIRC the inner lid of the cardboard box also had the stamp?  (I will check my boxes when I get back home tonight).

The bands look right.  I would check the back to see if they have been reapplied/reused. If you feel along the back where it claps if it is not smooth, it may be a sign if was reapplied.  

 

[asudevil08]

The box I owned in the past only had a date stamp on the inside of the paper holder.  Upper right hand corner.  Nothing on the bottom of the box.  

The box looks kosher.  Cigars look pretty good - if not a bit worse for wear.  

[Chibearsv]

Yikes!  A quick look at all the 1966 boxes sold on BR shows none with a serial format similar to your box.  Even the serial number starting with a 5 isn't in the ballpark for the BR boxes that sold.  That plus the wrapper inconsistencies would keep me away from them for sure.  I'm not an expert on fakes, but these don't look good to me at all.

[Ryan]

That box was not sold legally in Ireland. Health warning stickers must be bilingual by law here. Then and now.

This is checked by Revenue and Customs here.

It is missing the Hunters and Frankau (UK and Ireland distributor) stamp, so it is grey market if it was sold in an Irish shop.

The EC ceased to be a thing in 2009 when it was renamed the EU, so that health warning sticker is doubtful to have been used anywhere, let alone Ireland, by 2011.

These things, along with the different wrapper colours, incorrect serial number, bleeding ink on the box stamp (which can happen but rare enough) and the fact that this was always an expensive, rare box of Cohiba, point to the box most likely being a fake. 

 

[TBird55]

Here is a picture of a box I have. I never saved the cardboard outer box from any cigar  (with prices today maybe I should have), so can't help there.

[ATGroom]

To the pile of other suss things people have mentioned, I would add that the serial number is wrong for that style of barcode.

The first format of barcode with X XXXXXX XXXXXX was an early prototype with limited release. It appears on perhaps 5% of boxes with 2008 and early 2009 codes, almost always applied over the old style seal. I think it may have been used exclusively on boxes sold in Cuba. The serial numbers used on that code go from around 0 000010 000000 to around 0 000020 000000 give or take.

A 5000000 barcode like the one on the box pictured should be in the XXXXX XXXXXXX (5 digit, 7 digit) format. I would also expect a box code closer to ENE 10.

[Wailbait]

Font is wrong for factory and date code on underside 

[jfestrelabr]

"A quick check on Habanos says "It is not official from Habanos"."

 

Case Closed