The Last Valois
Kings of France
King Henri III
Coins of King Charles IX of France
King Henri III did not "invent" the effeminate ruff collar, for
which he was so criticized. Here is a 1575 (sic) coin of his elder brother Charles wearing
them.
1575 - ruff collar
Charles looks almost middle aged above, probably bzased on his looks at age 23, near the time of his death. His beard is trimmed in the oil portraits but shaggy on his coins.
1575 - with shaggy beard
There is thus a very different image of the king that comes from his coins than from his portraits.
I have not shown any coins from the early years of his reign, when he was clearly shown as a child.
Note: there was no single mint in France at the time. Each region issued its own coins based on iconography different from other coins of the the same year, i.e. there was no standard image of the king in any given year.