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 prototype during a test lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The ICBM was 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.