Starbucks Denver mug: Been There Series
The Denver mug from Starbucks' Been There Series spells DENVER in tall dark brown capitals, with a sun, a canoe, a trout, a bicycle wheel, pine trees and a Red Rocks drawing, plus the words MILE-HIGH CITY.
- Series
- Been There Series
- Place
- Denver, Colorado, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The mile-high plaques stolen from the Capitol steps
According to 5280 magazine, the first mile-high marker on the Colorado Capitol steps, placed in 1909, was stolen, along with several other plaques [1]. In 1947 the words ONE MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL were inscribed in the rock of the 15th step [2]. In 1969 several Colorado State University engineering students resurveyed the elevation and concluded that the old inscription and marker sat three steps too low [3]. A new brass benchmark went on the 18th step [4]. Then came 2003, and better measurements. The 1969 marker, they showed, was 3.03 feet too high [5]. Governor Bill Owens presided over a ceremony where a brass benchmark showing the Rocky Mountains was fixed to the 13th step [6]. The staircase now carries three markers, and the magazine would not promise the 13th is the last [7]. The words MILE-HIGH CITY on the Denver mug (6) rest on a number the Capitol steps have had to revise twice.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
DENVER in tall dark brown capitals with a speckled texture across the top.
- 2Sun
A large sun with radiating rays sits in the middle of the design.
- 3Canoe
A pale green canoe with a crossed paddle floats on wavy water at the left.
- 4Trout
A green fish with brown spots swims along the bottom edge.
- 5Red Rocks
A round drawing of tall rock slabs and a green slope is labelled RED ROCKS.
- 6Mile-High City
The words MILE-HIGH CITY are lettered at the lower right.
- 7Bicycle wheel
A bicycle wheel with green spokes curves around the left edge.
- 8Pine trees
Three small pine trees stand in a row above the Red Rocks drawing.
- 9Green dish
A green-lined dish with drops falling beside it sits near the upper left.
The photo shows one side of the mug. The back, the area behind the handle and the inside are out of view, so drawings or the interior colour there are not described.
Collector notes
- The art is mostly black and brown line drawing with light green and cream fills, so it reads as pale from a distance compared with the coloured Discovery Series Denver mug.
- The words RED ROCKS and MILE-HIGH CITY are lettered into the art near the bottom, which helps confirm a listing's photo shows this mug.
Before you buy
The photo shows one side of the mug, so the back and the inside are not described. Denver also appears in the Discovery, Icon and You Are Here series; this one is the Been There mug, with RED ROCKS and MILE-HIGH CITY lettered into mostly black, brown and pale green line art.
Other Denver mugs
Sources
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
- Only in Colorado: The Capitol's Mile-High Step(s), 5280
