Cochise Silver Proof

The celebrated warrior chief of the Chiricahua Apache, Cochise was born in 1805 in the desert lands of modern day Arizona.

A tireless fighter for the right of his people to live free from the interference of white settlers, Cochise spent most of life engaged in an ongoing struggle with the U.S. Army. In 1862, avenging the hanging of his fellow warriors by Army Lt. George Bascom, Cochise initiated a series of attacks against U.S. forces that lasted for more than ten years.

Repeatedly eluding capture, he carried on the cause of the Apache people until his death in 1874.

This coin commemorates the bold leadership and fierce determination of Chief Cochise, one of the Apache nation's greatest warriors. The obverse features a rendering of Cochise. The reverse features a buffalo standing inside a dream catcher, a Native American cultural icon still in use today.

According to Native American legend, dream catchers - which are made by stretching a web of sinew strands across a small wooden hoop - are designed to capture only those spirits that give life to the tribe, leaving all others to pass through its small holes.

Minted in .999 pure silver, this proof-quality coin is sealed in a tarnish-resistant Lucite capsule. Each coin comes displayed an attractive leatherette presentation box and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.