Endangered Species: The True Anthora Coffee Cup.

Few coffee cups have achieved the iconic status of the original Anthora – the classic blue-and-white paper cup adorned with a Greek amphora and the proud words "We Are Happy to Serve You."  First introduced in the 1960s, it owes its distinctive name to designer Leslie Buck, who, through his Eastern European accent, pronounced "amphora" as "Anthora."

For decades, the Anthora was synonymous with New York City's fast-moving coffee culture. But after the arrival of Starbucks in 1994, sales of the Anthora plummeted, and a wave of knockoffs flooded the market. Today, spotting an authentic Anthora can feel like a New York streetwise skill.  Telltale signs of a fake?  No amphora urn, a decorative scroll replacing the three steaming coffee cups, and slogans like "It’s Our Pleasure to Serve You" instead of the classic phrase.  Other imitators swap in images of the Parthenon, a discus thrower, a harpist, or even a woman bathing a nude man from a golden jug, paired with nearly-right slogans like "We Are Pleased To Serve You," "Service Is Our Specialty," or "Happiness to Serve You."

In a city now brimming with artisanal cafés and branded cold brew, the true Anthora has become something of an endangered species.  Yet the original endures as a beloved object of New York culture, and a forever icon of the city that never sleeps.