Starbucks Indianapolis mug: Discovery Series
The Indianapolis mug from Starbucks' Discovery Series sets the city name in orange-red over a dark green circle, with a trumpet, a musician in a blue cap, a skyline, two ears of corn, a gondola and a blue-headed bird.
- Series
- Discovery Series
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Type
- Mug
- Released
- Not confirmed
- Capacity
- 14 fl ozstandard mug size
- SKU
- Not confirmed
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The canal Indiana meant as its main street
In 1836 Indiana's legislature authorized a $10 million program of canals, roads and railroads, and the Central Canal was meant to place Indianapolis at the centre of a statewide transportation network [1]. On June 27, 1839, about nine miles of finished waterway opened [1]. By then fraud, ineptitude and an international financial panic had undermined the loan, and the state could not pay its interest [1]. The finished fragment, the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis says, served no important transportation purposes [1]. The state sold it in 1850 [1]. A few decades later its owners faced a lawsuit for maintaining a public nuisance, and sold the lower portion for sewage removal [1]. The ditch lasted. Today a company offers gondola rides on the downtown canal from May to November, with a gondolier who serenades the passengers [2]. The gondola on the Indianapolis mug (6) may float on that same water.
The mug does not label its drawings, so connecting this one to the story is our reading.
What's on the mug
- 1Lettering
INDIANAPOLIS in orange-red capitals across the full width of a dark green circle.
- 2Trumpet
A gold trumpet points up and to the right above the lettering.
- 3Musician
A musician in a blue cap and sunglasses, an orange top and striped trousers plays an instrument at the left edge.
- 4Skyline
A skyline of tall buildings in orange, blue and white stands on top of the circle.
- 5Ears of corn
Two ears of corn, one yellow and one dark blue, lie across the lower left of the circle.
- 6Gondola
A gondola with a gondolier in a striped top floats on pale blue water at the lower right.
- 7Blue-headed bird
A bird with a blue head and a yellow breast perches at the right, beside the handle.
The photo shows one side of the mug. The back and the area behind the handle are out of view.
Collector notes
- The lettering is orange-red and runs the full width of the circle, so the long word stays easy to read even in a small photo.
- The musician and the skyline sit at the left, while the trumpet and the gondola sit at the right.
Before you buy
The photo shows one side of this 14 fl oz Discovery Series mug; the back and the area behind the handle are out of view. Indianapolis also appears in the Been There, Icon and You Are Here series, so check the series name before you order.
