Henri II, King of France (b. 1519; r. 1547–59)

Based on drawings and painted portraits by François Clouet (ca. 1510–1572), this medallion belongs to a series depicting the last members of the House of Valois, possibly commissioned by Henri's widow, Catherine de' Medici, about 1575. The 1559 date probably refers to the king's death on June 30 of that year from wounds sustained at a tournament celebrating the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis and the wedding of his daughter Elisabeth of Valois to Philip II of Spain.

Source: Scher, Stephen K., et al. The Scher Collection of Commemorative Medals. New York and London, 2019.