fake Half of verification numbers missing on warranty seal. Is my box fake??

[SonGoku]

Just did some inventory on one of my cooladors this morning and a box of La Escepcion Selectos Finos RE Italia 2011. I remember buying them back in ‘13 or ‘14 from an online retailer that I would classify as reputable source (not here to point fingers at a dealer or cause drama so not gonna mention any names. Not sure it’s allowed on this forum either). Had been out of the loop for some years at that point and didn’t now about verifying option excising on Habanos webpage. So i just put them away for long term storing after receiving them.

Anyway as seen on the pictures attached it seems to me that only half of the verification numbers are present (encicled on one of the pictures). The part of the warranty seal containing the whole number and barcode that is on the side of the box is ripped of by the vendor or at least before I got the box. As far as I know many dealers did this at some point in time to hide their source. I’ve zoomed in on the usual places where serial numbers should normally be present as per cubancigarwebsite but I just cannot find the first half of the serial number.

So my question is: should I assume that the box is fake? Cigars looks good and smells fine to me but then again I’ve never tried this cigar before or seen any other than from the box I have. Never smoked one either. Have I overlooked something on the warranty seal or does it look fine?

[mt1]

Given that it's a 2011 release (the same year that Habanos S.A. added the microstamped serials in the spot you circled), I bet you got an old sticker as they were using up the remaining stock and phasing in the new microstamped ones.

If you have no other reasons to doubt the authenticity of this box, I think this small discrepancy can be attributed to the 2011 year.

[SonGoku]

Thx for your reply. No other reason really. So you might be right. Just Cuba being Cuba as a fellow BOTL told me earlier today