Starbucks Virginia mug: Discovery Series
The Virginia mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the name in red capitals over a dark green circle, with a blue crab, white dogwood flowers, a horse and rider, a brick tower and red mountains.
- Series
- Discovery Series
- Place
- Virginia, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The year Chesapeake Bay's crab count hit a record low
In 2007 the winter survey of Chesapeake Bay's blue crabs counted a record low of 249 million [1]. The next year brought a federal disaster declaration, according to the Bay Journal, and Virginia banned winter dredging [2]. Dredges scoop up dormant crabs from the bottom, and about 90 percent of the winter catch was adult females, a Virginia fisheries official said [2]. The scientists count crabs while they lie still too: in winter they are buried in the mud and stationary [3]. From November to March a research boat visits 1,500 randomly chosen sites, towing a six-foot dredge for one minute at three knots at each [3]. By 2011 the survey found 460 million crabs, nearly double that low [1]. The blue crab arcing over the Virginia mug (2) is the animal those dredges count.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
VIRGINIA in red capitals across the middle of a dark green circle.
- 2Blue crab
A blue-and-teal crab with red markings arcs over the top left of the circle, claws reaching right.
- 3Dogwood flowers
White four-petal flowers with brown centres hang from red stems at the upper right.
- 4Horse and rider
A pale blue horse carries a rider in dark red, galloping to the left beside the handle.
- 5Brick building
A red brick building with a tall tower and cupola rises at the far left.
- 6Mountains
Plum and orange mountain shapes with teal highlights sit under the lettering.
- 7Yellow pines
Small yellow pine trees stand between the mountains and the horse.
- 8Pier Side view
A long red pier on slanted posts runs diagonally across the left of this view, with small birds above it.
- 9Hidden Starbucks cup Side view
A small white to-go cup with a green circle logo is tucked between the pier posts. Starbucks says one is hidden in every Discovery Series design.
- 10Oysters Side view
Two open oyster shells with lemon wedges sit above the beach.
- 11Fish Side view
A green fish with red spots swims above the deer's antlers.
- 12Red deer Side view
A red deer with branching antlers and a patterned neck stands beside the umbrella.
- 13Beach umbrella and chairs Side view
A yellow and teal umbrella shades two chairs with red cushions on a yellow beach.
- 14Cardinal Back view
A red cardinal with a crest perches over a brick structure.
- 15Peanuts Back view
Several peanuts in the shell float in a row at the upper left.
- 16Ham Back view
A round cured ham with a teal tag end sits at the bottom of this view.
The photo shows one side of the mug. The inside colour, the back and the area behind the handle are out of view.
Collector notes
- The crab arcs over the top of the circle and the dogwood flowers hang from its right, so those two fill the whole upper half of this side.
- The brick tower sits at the far left edge and the horse and rider at the right beside the handle, so a photo from either side misses one of them.
Before you buy
The photo shows one side of the mug, so the inside colour, the back and the area behind the handle are out of view. Virginia also appears in the Been There and You Are Here series; this Discovery mug is the one with a small Starbucks cup hidden between pier posts on the other side.
