Original Metal “Mother” Mastering Plates for Pink Floyd LP Dark Side of the Moon - From the 2011 Limited Edition Vinyl Record Release

Offered is an incredible display piece created with the original factory-used metal "mother" plates for the production of the 2011  limited edition vinyl record release of Pink Floyd's LP The Dark Side of the Moon. The plaque on the display gives a brief description of the nature of the production artifacts presented:

Pink Floyd "The Dark Side of the Moon" Original Playable Metal "Mother" Mastering Plates used in the Production of the Harvest Records Limited Edition Vinyl Record Album Re-Issue, S-77388  0298761, Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London Originally Released 1973.

The diagram at right is presented below the text, and it is an excellent primer on where the mother plates fit in the production of vinyl records. Copies of sides A & B of the record's positive metal "mothers" were produced from the "master" discs for duplicating the metal stamping dies (the stamper) for the record pressing machines to produce the finished vinyl records. See the diagram at right for a visual explanation of the process. That these mother plates exist at all is special because most mothers and stampers used in production were recycled to reclaim the precious and expensive nickel. Beyond that, many mothers are destroyed in the process of creating the stampers, but the limited nature of this pressing left these in great shape. Very few survived the rigorous manufacturing process in such pristine condition.

The Dark Side of the Moon is among the most critically acclaimed records in history, often featuring on professional listings of the greatest albums of all time. The record helped propel Pink Floyd to international fame, and it has been certified 14 platinum in the United Kingdom and charted in the US for 957 weeks in total. The metal mothers both measure 12 3/8 inches in diameter, and the framed display measures 29 ¼ x 23 ¼ inches. Near Mint to Mint condition.