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In 1926, the Irish Free State government passed the Coinage Act which empowered the Minister for Finance to make and issue silver, nickel and bronze coins. A committee was established to choose designs for the coins which included Irish poet WB Yeats, one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature.

It was recommended that the coins feature a series of native animals because of their importance to the agricultural economy of Ireland at the time. The harp was chosen for the obverse of the coins, as the harp has been the heraldic emblem of Ireland for centuries. This three pence coin ornament featuring the Irish hare and the iconic harp are a celebration of Ireland’s rich history.