1963 Northern Co-operative Society : Then and Now

Then and Now cards were issued in 1963 by Northern Co-operative Society Ltd. of Aberdeen, Scotland. The 25-card illustrated series compares older technology with contemporary advancements of the era. Each card measures approximately 1.375 x 2.625 inches (35 x 67 mm).

Then and Now cards were distributed in England by Askey's of Aylesbury and Ringtons Limited of Newcastle. The cards were distributed with Tonibell Choc-Bar ice cream as This Changing World.

Card #5 depicts the SM-65 Atlas during lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The ICBM was originally developed for the U.S. Air Force by the Convair Astronautics Division of General Dynamics. The first launch of Atlas SM-65A 4A on June 11, 1957, resulted in a booster failure and remote destruction. Atlas SM-65A 12A was successfully fired to an apogee of 74.56 miles (120 km) on December 15, 1957. Eight of the SM-65 Series A prototypes were tested from 1957–1958 with a 50% success rate.