In my experience (at a number of pressing plants) metal parts, including stampers, are stored this way. Damage to stampers usually happens while they are being mounted on the presses.
The etching is done on the lacquer disc and is present on all stages of the metal work - master, mother and stamper. Those are stampers in the pic I took.
Agreed. Although the inclusion of Stevie Wonder's I Just Called To Say I Love You was a bit of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. I never realized Bix did a trumpet solo on that one.
The only stereo track in the set.