It features the horse (an Irish Hunter) that was on the pre-decimal half-crown coin, that was produced from 1928 to 1967.

The edge of the coin has six bands, alternately finished smooth and grained.

In 1982 the Minister for Finance, Ray MacSharry, announced that a twenty or twenty-five pence coin might be introduced.

[1] In August 1984 the twenty pence option was chosen; the Arts Council of Ireland recommended the horse design.

The coin was worth 1⁄5 of an Irish pound and was withdrawn with the advent of the euro in 2002.