Designed by Victor David Brenner at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt, the Lincoln Cent went into circulation
on August 2, 1909. From 1909 to 1942, the Lincoln Cent was bronze. It was manufactured from .950 copper and .050 tin
and zinc. “O” indicates a coin minted in New Orleans.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art29389.asp
first regular coin to bear a portrait other than
the mythical
Liberty, which appeared on most pre-1909 regular coins. (Even the so-called "Indian Head" of the
Indian Head cent it replaced depicted Liberty as a
Native American; the same concept was later used for the
Sacagawea dollar since there are no known portraits of
Sacagawea.) Previously, a strong feeling had prevailed against using portraits on coins in the United States, but public sentiment
stemming from the 100th anniversary celebration of
Abraham Lincoln's birth proved stronger than the long-standing prejudice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent
None
were produced in New Orleans because the N.O. mint stopped producing coins that year.
