Levi’s® Vintage Clothing has an exciting trick up its sleeve. Called the 1971 “Golden Ticket” 501®Jean, this new limited edition jean celebrates the now famous 1971 transition between the big “E” and the small “e” on the Levi’s® Red Tab. 501 pairs of the 1971 501® will be produced, with 496 of them featuring small “e” Red Tabs, and five very special pairs featuring big “E” Red Tabs. The trick is, no one will know which version they have until they buy the jeans and unwrap a piece of golden foil attached to the tab.

In 1971, our iconic Levi’s® Red Tab logo changed from LEVI’S® with a big "E” to Levi’s® with a small "e." Now our logo matched the trademark Batwing design created by Walter Landor in 1967. Due to this transition, both types of tabs were sold that year. By the late ’80s, vintage Levi’s® jeans had become popular collectables, and the Red Tab’s design was the dividing line between what was increasingly rare and what was readily available.

For seasoned thrifters, a big "E" meant scoring a pair of authentic vintage 501® jeans. These days, the small "e" jeans from the ‘70s are also hard to find—and highly coveted. We’re excited to reintroduce this part of Levi’s® history to our most enthusiastic collectors.