Levi's · 506XX · about 1905–1953
Levi Strauss & Co. dates the jacket collectors call the Type I to 1905–1953, though the Lot 506 name goes back to the 1890s. It has one chest pocket, two pleats down the front, rivets at the pocket and cuffs, and a cinch strap across the lower back, with a blanket-lined version too. The red tab went onto Levi's jackets in 1937. During World War II the pocket flap came off and hollow donut buttons saved metal, and the flap came back after the war. The Type I, II and III names aren't Levi's own. Japanese collectors started classifying the jackets that way in the 1980s, as the market for them took off. Originals rarely surface in wearable shape, and reissues far outnumber them on eBay. A postwar flapped jacket is the one most collectors hunt, and a good reissue is the one to wear.
Date it from the photos
Reissues and repros
Levi's Vintage Clothing has reissued the 1936 Type I, and Japanese makers including Full Count, Sugar Cane, Buzz Rickson's, The Flat Head, TCB, Denime and Momotaro make close copies. Levi's Japan's 1990s 71506XX reissue has a Big E tab, so look for a MADE IN JAPAN tag and a button stamp starting with J, such as J22. A care label or a three-digit button stamp such as 555 means a later reissue.
If you’ll wear it
Wear a reissue. An LVC or Japanese Type I copies the cut and details closely, and you won't be risking an 80-year-old jacket.
If you’ll collect it
A postwar jacket with its flap, a bronze cinch slider and a one-sided tab is the classic find. Heddels notes wartime jackets can rank above older ones because they're scarcer.
Type Is have a boxy fit and are tagged by chest size, so the tag tells you little about how one wears now. Ask for pit to pit, back length from the collar seam to the hem, and sleeve length from the shoulder seam to the cuff, and compare them with a jacket you own. They predate the pre-shrunk denim Levi's brought in during the 1960s, so trust the measurements over the tag.
New to measuring old denim? Our measuring guide shows where to put the tape.
Measurements first, then the details
Expect frayed cuffs and collar, worn buttonholes and a cinch buckle that's been replaced or cut off. Old darning and patches are part of a Type I's story, but replaced buttons or buckles should be stated in the listing.
Buying guide
If we were buying a Type I, we'd start with the $3,873 jacket a Japanese dealer titles 506XX 1st and original, then ask for the tab, cinch and inside before paying. We found only eight for sale (the estimate is at least 16), most asking $5,350–14,275 delivered, and one Japanese dealer holds three of them at $9,000–25,000. Every cheaper listing we found was a 1990s Levi's Japan or LVC reissue, so look inside first. A care label, a MADE IN JAPAN tag or a J or 555 button stamp means a reissue, and LEVI'S on one side of the tab fits about 1937 to 1952. They're tagged by chest size, so ask for pit to pit, back length and sleeve and compare them with a jacket you own. Skip the Belgian listing from a zero-feedback seller and the $25,000 one, which asks over twice the median.
$2,509.41est. delivered
The lowest ask on a Type I here at $2,509 delivered, titled 506XX with the cinch, selvedge and Big E, and distressed. That's under half the usual ask, so check for a care label and the button backs for a J or 555 stamp before you offer.
Vtg Levi’s 506XX Type 1 Denim Jacket Big E Cinch Selvedge Distressed
$3,873.00est. delivered
Titled 506XX 1st and original, at $3,873 delivered, well under the band. $775 of that is shipping from Japan, and the title gives no era or size, so ask for the tab, the cinch and pit to pit.
Levi's 506XX 1st Original Vintage Denim Jacket
$13,002.15est. delivered
Titled WWII S506XX, 1942 to 1946, with a buckle back, from a US seller at $13,002 delivered, inside the band. Wartime jackets can rank above older ones because they're scarcer, so confirm the flapless pocket and donut buttons in the photos.
Authentic WWII Levi's S506XX Type I Denim Jacket (1942–1946) – Big E, Buckle Bk
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$2,509.41est. delivered
$2,500.00 + $9.41 shipping
Buy It Now$2,500.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Titled Big E, cinch, selvedge, distressed. Far under the band, so check for reissue tells.
Seller: thegrungerack
100% positive
Used$3,873.00est. delivered
$3,098.00 + $775.00 shipping
Buy It Now$3,098.00
Good buy
Titled 1st and original. $775 shipping from Japan.
Seller: liztokyo
100% positive
Used$13,002.15est. delivered
$12,995.00 + $7.15 shipping
Buy It Now$12,995.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Titled WWII S506XX, 1942 to 1946, buckle back. US seller.
Seller: jenn-2556
100% positive
Used$5,864.75est. delivered
$5,850.00 + $14.75 shipping
Buy It Now$5,850.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 1940s Big E selvedge, US seller. Ask what the "Dead head" in the title means.
Seller: cealv-75
100% positive
Used$9,000.00delivered
$9,000.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$9,000.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 40s with a single-sided tab, which fits about 1937 to 1952. Free shipping from Japan.
Seller: y_0515
100% positive
Used$18,000.00delivered
$18,000.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$18,000.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Titled 40s with a pin buckle and yellow stitching. Above the band.
Seller: y_0515
100% positive
Used$10,119.99est. delivered
$9,999.99 + $120.00 shipping
Buy It Now$9,999.99
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Check the seller
Zero-feedback seller in Belgium, titled 1936 to 1941.
Seller: angelsofmercy101
No feedback yet
Used$25,000.00delivered
$25,000.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$25,000.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Priced high
Titled single-sided tab with a slide buckle. Over twice the median ask.
Seller: y_0515
100% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 11, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay searchLevi's · Jackets and coats
507XX1953 to about 1962
$3,150–$7,500 typical ask
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$2,300–$5,150 typical ask