Starbucks New York City mug: Discovery Series
The New York City mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets NEW YORK CITY in orange capitals over a dark green circle, with a yellow taxi, a grey pigeon, a pizza slice, a red apple, a baseball glove and ball, and the Statue of Liberty; the inside is yellow-orange.
- Series
- Discovery Series
- Place
- New York City, New York, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The stable hands who named New York the Big Apple
On 3 May 1921 the New York Morning Telegraph ran a racing item saying a trainer's horses were scheduled to start for "the big apple" the next day [1]. It meant the big-money New York tracks, and the paper's racing writer, John J. Fitz Gerald, kept using it [2]. On 18 February 1924 he explained where he got it. According to Fitz Gerald, two stable hands were leading horses around the cooling rings at the New Orleans Fair Grounds when one asked the other where he was heading [3]. The other answered, proudly, that he was headed for the Big Apple. The first man told him to fatten up his horses, or all he would get from the apple would be the core [3]. Fitz Gerald opened that column by saying there was only one Big Apple, and it was New York [3]. He lived on the southwest corner of West 54th Street and Broadway from 1934 to 1963, and in 1997 Mayor Giuliani signed a bill adding the name Big Apple Corner to a sign there [4]. The red apple at the left of the New York City mug (5) may be that nickname.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
NEW YORK CITY in orange capitals over a dark green circle.
- 2Yellow taxi
A yellow taxi with a white sign on its roof drives along the bottom.
- 3Pigeon
A grey pigeon stands on the roof of the taxi, looking toward the pizza.
- 4Pizza slice
A slice of pepperoni pizza sits at the right of the pigeon.
- 5Red apple
A red apple with a green leaf sits at the left of the circle.
- 6Baseball glove and ball
A blue baseball glove sits above a yellow ball with motion lines.
- 7Statue of Liberty
A pale blue statue of Liberty stands at the far left edge.
- 8Bridge and trees
A curved bridge with orange autumn trees rises at the right of the taxi.
- 9Person in a checked coat Side view
A figure in a wide-brimmed hat and black-and-yellow checked coat stands in front of the bridge.
- 10Subway train Side view
A teal subway car with a round white sign and two lit windows sits below the figure.
- 11Skyscrapers Side view
Tall dark towers with a pointed spire stand at the left, behind orange and yellow trees.
- 12Red stage curtain Side view
A red curtain with a diamond shape hangs beside the Statue of Liberty.
- 13Pretzel cart Back view
A food cart with a red and yellow umbrella, bottles and pretzel pictures stands on the left of this side.
- 14Heart balloon Back view
A red heart-shaped balloon floats above the trees on its string.
- 15Bouquet Back view
A bunch of orange, teal and red flowers is held by a figure below the trees.
The photo shows one side of the mug and a hand holds the handle. The back and the area behind the handle are out of view.
Collector notes
- The inside of this mug is yellow-orange, which shows at the rim in the photo.
- The taxi, the pigeon and the pizza slice stack in the middle of the face, while the Statue of Liberty and the apple are at the far left, so a photo from the right misses them.
Before you buy
The photo shows one side of the mug, so the back and the area behind the handle are not visible. The inside is yellow-orange. Starbucks also has a Been There mug for New York City, so check the series name on the base before you order.
