Starbucks Manhattan mug: Discovery Series
The Manhattan mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the name in yellow-orange over a dark green circle, with a stacked sandwich, a food cart, a saxophone, a dinosaur skeleton and a skyscraper. A tiger, a BROADWAY sign and a boat fill the other sides.
- Series
- Discovery Series
- Place
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The year New York sold its first T. rex
In early 1941 the American Museum of Natural History put its first Tyrannosaurus rex up for sale. It offered the skeleton to Yale, which turned it down [1]. Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum bought it for $7,000 [2]. Barnum Brown had dug it out of Hell Creek, Montana, in 1902 [1], and when it went on display in December 1906 the crowds lined up for blocks [2]. Why sell? Mark Norell, a curator at the American Museum, says Brown thought New York would be bombed [1]. Carnegie's Matt Lamanna says Brown's own papers call the sale a way to raise money for the endowment [1]. Historians quoted by NPR say Brown's letters suggest he wanted cash for more digging [2]. The skeleton that reached Pittsburgh was also incomplete [2]. A rib stayed behind in a New York cabinet until a researcher recognised its number, 973, and it was carried to Pittsburgh in a backpack [2]. The open-jawed skeleton on the Manhattan mug (6) may stand for the museum's dinosaur halls.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
MANHATTAN in yellow-orange capitals over a dark green circle.
- 2Stacked sandwiches
Two sandwiches piled with layers of red meat between slices of bread sit at the upper left, with a blue-green pickle beside them.
- 3Rising chart
A jagged red line chart climbs up and to the right with dollar signs along it.
- 4Umbrella and food cart
A pink-and-blue umbrella shades a blue cart that carries pretzels, a hot dog and rows of bottles.
- 5Saxophone and drums
A yellow saxophone with music notes stands beside a drum kit with cymbals.
- 6Dinosaur skeleton
A pink-and-blue dinosaur skeleton with an open jaw walks across the lower left.
- 7Skyscraper
A tall skyscraper with a spire and rows of lit windows stands at the left.
- 8Arched building
A building with tall arched windows and small figures walking below it sits at the upper right.
- 9BROADWAY sign Side view
A pink-and-white BROADWAY sign hangs among towers lit with coloured signs.
- 10Performer at a microphone Side view
A person in blue trousers stands beside a microphone stand.
- 11Tiger Side view
A pink-and-orange striped tiger crouches in the middle of the side.
- 12Red apple Side view
A large red apple sits beside the skyscraper.
- 13STARBUCKS wordmark Back view
The vertical STARBUCKS wordmark runs beside the handle on this side.
- 14Yellow boat Back view
A yellow boat with a figure aboard floats in blue water.
- 15Pier Back view
People stand on a wooden pier beside a blue stone building.
The three photos together cover most of the outside of the mug. The area behind the handle is out of view.
Collector notes
- Discovery Series also has New York City, New York, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island mugs on our checklists; this one is lettered MANHATTAN.
- The BROADWAY sign appears in both the side and the back photos, and the side and back photos show the mug on its dark teal gift box.
Before you buy
The photos show three sides of the mug and leave the area behind the handle out of view, so check the listing for the inside colour. This one is lettered MANHATTAN; the Discovery Series also has separate New York City, New York, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island mugs.
