EAR: Cohiba Authentication....and the blue dots

[El Presidente]

EAR = Cohiba Authentication .....and the blue dots. 

 

Rob, in relation to blue dots on Cohiba bands, two questions please. 

1. When did the blue dots under UV light start being applied?

2. How long before it became universal on all Cohiba?

3. Are they universal on all Cohiba?

 

I thought this one to be a good one to kick around on FOH. 

Does someone kick off with a good picture of the blue dots? 

[NSXCIGAR]

The first reference to these dots was in this thread. The post from @ATGroom is most concise, although I don't know if anyone was able to narrow down when the first appearance of the dots was. 

 

[MickVanWinkle]

[ATGroom]

1 hour ago, NSXCIGAR said:

The first reference to these dots was in this thread. The post from @ATGroom is most concise, although I don't know if anyone was able to narrow down when the first appearance of the dots was. 

 

AFAIK first appeared on the Talisman in late 2017. Universal by the end of 2018.

To the "near dots" and "far dots" I mention in that post, I would also add the 55-60 band has it's own pattern with a W shape off on the far end.

 

[El Presidente]

Alex, I came across some 22 Cohiba Robutos Tubos yesterday with no dots whatsoever. I had our own team double check. 

[vladdraq]

too me the striking difference under UV light is that the white little squares on the real band are all lighted up, like a luminous watch dial. To un entrained eye maybe the lower band would look more "Real". It's not.

 

 

 

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[ATGroom]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Alex, I came across some 22 Cohiba Robutos Tubos yesterday with no dots whatsoever. I had our own team double check. 

I assume your team is aware that wrong size and trimmed bands are often used resulting in the dots being covered or removed, and that isn't the case here.

Also assuming that there is no possibility that the cigars are fake.

You obviously see a lot more Cohiba bands than I do, however I see enough to know that the blue dots are definitely 'normal' at this point and not reserved for only certain vitolas or anything like that.

Do the bands have the UV ink CHB code, or is that missing as well?

It seems plausible that the factory operates a last in last out system and stocks recently got low enough that they used the five year old bands at the bottom of the pile.

Also seems plausible that there was a batch from Vrijdag that missed the UV ink pass in a printing error.

In my view this would be in the category of 'defect', not 'normal' or 'certain fake.'

[El Presidente]

10 minutes ago, ATGroom said:

I assume your team is aware that wrong size and trimmed bands are often used resulting in the dots being covered or removed, and that isn't the case here.

Also assuming that there is no possibility that the cigars are fake.

You obviously see a lot more Cohiba bands than I do, however I see enough to know that the blue dots are definitely 'normal' at this point and not reserved for only certain vitolas or anything like that.

Do the bands have the UV ink CHB code, or is that missing as well?

It seems plausible that the factory operates a last in last out system and stocks recently got low enough that they used the five year old bands at the bottom of the pile.

Also seems plausible that there was a batch from Vrijdag that missed the UV ink pass in a printing error.

In my view this would be in the category of 'defect', not 'normal' or 'certain fake.'

Certainly not the norm as all other Cohiba inspected complied. 

I will have the team take some detailed photos Monday