FORM 4

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utilities
Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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[ ] Check this box if no longer
  subject to Section 16. Form 4
  or Form 5 obligations
  continue. See Instruction 1(b)

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(Print or Type Responses)                                                                                        

  Verity           William                  W.

  AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. (AFG)

  6.  Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
               (Check all applicable)

  911 New Street

3. IRS Identification,
  Number of Reporting
  Person, if an entity (Voluntary)

4. Statement for
   Month/Day/Year

  April 1, 2003

  X  Director

     10% Owner

     Officer (give
     title below)

     Other (specify
           below)

  Beaufort,   SC     29902

5. If Amendment,
   Date of Original
   (Month/Day/Year)

7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
 X Form filed by One Reporting Person
    Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
    Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

   (City)                    (State)                     (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of or Beneficially Owned

1.  Title of Security
     (Instr. 3)

2. Trans-
action
Date

2A.
Deemed
Execution
Date, if
any

3. Trans-
action
Code
(Instr. 8)

4.  Securities Acquired (A)
or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3,4 and 5)

5. Amount of
Securities
Beneficially
Owned

6. Owner-
ship
Form:
Direct

7. Nature
of In-
Direct
Bene-

(Month/
Day/
Year)

(Month/
Day/
Year)

Code

V

Amount

(A) or
(D)

Price

Following
Reported
Transactions
(Instr. 3 and 4)

(D) or
Indirect
(I)
(Instr. 4)

Ficial
Owner-
ship
(Instr. 4)

Common Stock

4/1/03

A

408

A

$19.629

1,153

D

Reminder:  Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.                                              Over 
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v)                                                              SEC 1474 (9-02) 

FORM 4  (continued)                                                                        Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1.  Title of Derivative Security
  (Instr. 3)

2. Conver-
sion or|
Exercise
Price of
Deriv-
ative

3.  Trans-
action
Date

3A 
Deemed
Execution
Date, if
any

4. Transac-
tion Code
(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Deriv-
ative Securities Ac-
quired (A) or Dis-
posed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)

6.  Date Exercisable
and Expiration Date
(Month//Day/Year)

7.  Title and Amount of Underlying
Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price
of
Deriv-
ative
ecuri-
ty

9.  Number
of Deriv-
ative
Secur-
ities
Bene-

10. Owner-
ship
Form
of De-
rivative
Secur

11. Nature
of In-
direct
Bene-
ficial
Owner-

Security

(Month/
Day/
Year)

(Month/
Day/
Year)

Date

Expiration

Amount or

(Instr.
5)

icially
Owned
at End
of

Ity
Direct
(D) or
Indi-

Ship
(Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Exercisable

Date

Title

Number of Shares

Month
(Instr. 4)

rect (I)
(Instr. 4)

**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal violations

        Karl J. Grafe ________              April 1, 2003

  See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a)

** Signature of Reporting Person          Date 

William W. Verity

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed

By: Karl J. Grafe, as attorney-in-fact

Page 2 

       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure

SEC 1474 (9-02)