Starbucks Bahamas mug: Been There Series

What's on the mug

1. 1
   Bahamas lettering

   Bahamas in dark teal capitals and lower case runs across the top of the front. It is the only place name on the mug.

2. 2
   Conch shell that looks like a queen conch

   A large pale shell with a row of knobs at its pointed end, a wide flared lip edged in blue and an orange stripe inside the opening fills the middle of the front. It looks like a queen conch, which has short spines at the tip of the shell and a pink interior to the lip, though the drawing colours the inside orange. The mug doesn't name it.^[6]

3. 3
   Wave

   A curling wave in teal and pale blue, with spray flying off its crest, sits below the shell.

4. 4
   Sailboats that may be Bahamian sloops

   Two small boats with tall blue sails, each with a pale and an orange stripe near the mast, heel over in choppy water below an orange sun and a cloud. They may be meant for Bahamian racing sloops like those at the Family Island Regatta, but the sails are drawn as plain pointed triangles rather than the sloop's large rounded mainsail, so other small sailing boats fit just as well. The mug doesn't name them.^[1][10]

5. 5
   Orange flowers that may be hibiscus

   Three orange flowers with broad ruffled petals and dark vein lines sit with a leafy sprig at the left of the shell. They may be hibiscus, but the drawing shows no stamen or other feature that settles the plant. The mug doesn't name them.

6. 6
   Goggles Side view

   Round orange round sunglasses-like goggles with blue lenses sit near the top, at the left end of the Bahamas lettering. They also show at the left edge of the Front view.

7. 7
   Lighthouse Side view

   A white tower with a blue pointed roof, an orange-lit lantern room and a small door stands on a pale blue island with rocks, with birds and a cloud to its right. It is also at the left edge of the Front view. The drawing gives no feature that ties it to one of the Bahamas' lighthouses, and the mug doesn't name it.

8. 8
   Blue marlin Side view

   The long body that fills the left of this side, pale green with a dark blue hatched fin along its back, belongs to the billed fish whose head is on the Back view (12). It has a tall dorsal fin that is highest at the front and slopes back, a long pale side fin and a forked tail at the bottom, the features of a blue marlin, which the Bahamas Embassy lists among the country's national symbols. The mug doesn't name it.^[3][4]

9. 9
   Folded map Back view

   A blue-edged folded map with pale islands on an orange ground, a W and an arrow pointing right is the largest drawing on this side. The islands are not labelled, and we cannot match their shapes to a real chart.

10. 10
    Beach umbrella Back view

    An orange and white umbrella is planted on a beach beside a striped towel, with the sun and a cloud behind it.

11. 11
    Horse-drawn carriage that looks like a Nassau surrey Back view

    A white horse pulls a four-wheeled blue carriage with an orange and white striped canopy, beside the handle. It looks like one of the horse-drawn surreys that carry visitors around downtown Nassau, but the drawing names no street. The mug doesn't name it.^[8]

12. 12
    Fishing rod and lure Back view

    A fishing rod with a reel and line guides runs across the top, its line curling up to an orange lure. Beside it is the head and long bill of the marlin (8), whose body continues onto the Side view.

13. 13
    Flamingos

    Two orange flamingos with hooked bills and long thin legs stand in shallow water beside the handle. The flamingo is the national bird of The Bahamas, and the largest breeding colony of West Indian flamingos is on Great Inagua. The mug doesn't name the place.^[5]

14. 14
    Drums and costume that look like Junkanoo

    At the top right of the front, a drum with an orange skin and a blue zigzag body, a second small drum, a white bell, two crossed sticks with orange round ends and a large round fan with an orange star are drawn together. They look like Junkanoo gear: goatskin drums, cowbells and a costume piece. The mug doesn't name it.^[7]

15. 15
    Beach lounger

    A folding lounge chair with dark blue slats sits right of the wave.

16. 16
    Palm trees and a spade in the sand

    Three small palm trees stand next to a blue and orange child's spade stuck in a mound of sand.

17. 17
    Cup with a green dot

    A small white cup with a handle and a green dot on its side sits between the conch shell and the wave.

18. 18
    Straw hat and bag that may be Nassau straw work Back view

    An orange hat and bag with a checked, woven pattern hang together, with a blue flower beside them; they continue onto the left edge of the Side view. They may stand for the hand-woven straw hats and bags sold at the Straw Market on Bay Street in Nassau. The mug doesn't name it.^[9]

19. 19
    Halved fruit Back view

    Two halves of an oval fruit with blue skin and brown speckled flesh, one with a large seed, sit below two small palm trees. The drawing does not show enough to name the fruit.

20. 20
    Two drinks Back view

    Two pale blue tumblers with ice, citrus slices and a garnish stand next to the fruit.

21. 21
    Starfish Back view

    A small orange starfish sits at the top of the back, beside the handle.

22. 22
    STARBUCKS wordmark Back view

    STARBUCKS in dark capitals runs down the back next to the handle.

23. 23
    Blue sun Side view

    A small blue sun with pointed rays sits below the goggles. It also shows at the left edge of the Front view.

The three photos show the front, the side opposite the handle and the back. The narrow strip under the handle is never seen straight on, and the underside and the inside base are not shown.

Collector notes

• The inside is a bright blue that matches the sea colours outside, and the handle is plain cream, so the lettering side is easy to tell from the STARBUCKS side.
• The STARBUCKS wordmark runs down the back next to the handle, and the folded orange map and the horse-drawn carriage sit on that side, away from the Bahamas lettering.
• The big fish on the side opposite the handle is one drawing with the billed head on the back: the blue marlin wraps from the fishing rod around to its tail near the lighthouse.

Other Bahamas mugs

Different series, different mugs. Check the series name before you buy.