Montecristo No. 2

Check the green-and-white Habanos warranty seal across the box seam. Since 2009 it carries a hologram strip on the right and a unique alphanumeric code; the paper should be cleanly applied and bridge the lid.

Watch for: Blurry print, a missing or flat (non-holographic) strip, a seal that doesn't span the seam, or a code that looks stamped-on are all reasons to slow down.

Find the stamp on the underside of the box. The first group is a three-letter factory cipher (the código de fábrica); paste it into the cuño decoder to read the date alongside it.

Watch for: A factory code that doesn't decode to a real factory, or that disagrees with the date stamp / release, is a red flag. The decoder reads the stamp — it does not prove the box is genuine.

Below the factory code is a month/year (e.g. 'AGO 19'). It should be plausible for the release and roughly consistent across every box in a lot.

Watch for: Impossible months, smeared ink, or boxes in the same lot stamped with wildly different dates point to re-boxing.

If the box has a Habanos barcode, verify it at https://verificacion.habanos.com — enter the code from the box.

Watch for: No barcode at all on a recent box, or one that won't resolve on the official portal, is worth a second look.

Compare band printing, cap, and roll against known-genuine reference photos in the catalog gallery. Weigh the price against the market.

Watch for: Fuzzy band embossing, mismatched caps, uneven colour across the box, and a price that's too good to be true are the classic tells.