WIS 00 1970 template (Wisconsin) (Road Sign) White Coffee Mug

This design reproduces the Wisconsin state highway shield as it was drawn in 1970, with a blank route number left in place for the reader to imagine.

Visual Elements & Composition

Black lettering and a black outline sit on a field of white, with the shield’s classic rounded-top silhouette standing out cleanly against the background. The word WIS marks the state across the top, and two zeros, 00, occupy the centre where a route number would normally be. The flat vector style keeps every edge crisp, and the layout is simple enough to read at a glance, which is exactly what a roadside marker needs to do.

Meaning & Symbolism

Shield-shaped markers like this one tell drivers which state route they are on, so the template works as a piece of wayfinding even without a number in place. The two zeros act as a placeholder: they show where a route designation belongs and leave the rest to the viewer. Designs of this kind follow the federal MUTCD guidelines for traffic-control devices, and this one captures the mid-century American highway system at the moment its signage was standardised across the country.

On the Coffee Mug

A mug is turned in the hand, so the shield takes on a different reading from every angle: the WIS lettering rises as the cup is lifted and drops out of view as it is tilted back. Because the design is pared back and sits on a white field, it suits a morning cup on a desk or kitchen counter, where a small piece of road history can start the day with a nod to the open highway.