Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder brother Francis III, Duke of Brittany, in 1536. He succeeded his father on his 28th birthday and was crowned King of France on 25 July 1547 at Reims Cathedral.

Henry's reign was marked by wars with Austria and the persecution of Protestants, mainly Calvinists known as Huguenots. Henry II severely punished them, particularly the ministers, for example by burning at the stake or cutting off their tongues for uttering heresies.

Depicted here is a gold coin issued under Henry’s reign. The obverse of a coin depicts the armored bust of a king facing right. On the other hand, the reverse of a coin represents a Cross of four H's with two crescents and two lines in the angles.

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