Three-cent bronze

{{Short description|American coin}}

{{Infobox coin

| Country = United States

| Denomination = Three-cent bronze

| Value = 3 cents (0.03

| Unit = US dollars)

| Diameter = 28.57

| Edge = Plain

| Composition =

{{plainlist |

• 95% copper
• 5% tin and zinc

}}

| Years of Minting = 1863

| Catalog Number = Judd-319, Pollock 384

| Obverse = 1863 3C Three Cents, Judd-319 Restrike, Pollock-384, R.5.jpg

| Obverse Design = Liberty with braided hair

| Obverse Designer = Christian Gobrecht

| Obverse Design Date = 1863

| Reverse = 1863 3C Three Cents, Judd-319 Restrike, Pollock-384, R.5 rev.jpg

| Reverse Design = Denomination surrounded by a wreath

| Reverse Design Date = 1863

}}

The three-cent bronze was a pattern coin struck in 1863 by George Eckfeldt.{{cite web|url=http://uspatterns.com/j319p384.html|title=J319/P384|work=US Patterns|access-date=15 March 2016}} The coin shares its obverse design (other than the font of the date, which is smaller and curved), thickness, and diameter with that of the Braided Hair large cent, but was made of bronze rather than pure copper. Weighing 140 grains, it weighed nearly three times that of the bronze Indian Head cent.{{cite web|url=http://coins.ha.com/itm/patterns/1863-3c-three-cents-judd-319-original-pollock-384-r5-pr65-red-and-brown-ngc-cac/a/1184-3937.s|title=1863 3C Three Cents, Judd-319 Original, Pollock-384, R.5, PR65 : Lot #3937 |work=Heritage Auctions|access-date=15 March 2016}} About 50 to 60 examples are known.

The obverse features an image of Liberty.