Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
LINDNER CARL H III
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
AMERICAN FINANCIAL GROUP INC [AFG]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Co-President
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
ONE EAST FOURTH STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/29/2005
(Street)

CINCINNATI, OH 45202
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by 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. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock               0 (1) D  
Common Stock 02/22/2005   G V 23,887 D $ 0 3,802,109 (1) I #1 (2)
Common Stock 03/17/2005   G V 6,473 D $ 0 3,795,636 I #1 (2)
Common Stock 03/29/2005   M   267,210 A $ 24.0628 4,062,846 I #1 (2)
Common Stock 03/29/2005   F   209,576 D $ 30.68 3,853,270 I #1 (2)
Common Stock               19,826 I #2 (3)
Common Stock               1,924 I #4 (4)
Common Stock               509,873 I #5 (5)
Common Stock               81,219 I #6 (6)
Common Stock               20,576 I #8 (7)
Common Stock               21,289 I #9 (8)
Common Stock               713 I #10 (9)
Common Stock               287,648 I #11 (10)
Common Stock               1,000,000 I #12 (8)
Common Stock               21,299 I #13 (11)
Common Stock               1,584 I #14 (10)
Common Stock               10 I #15 (12)
Common Stock               21,289 I #16 (13)
Common Stock               713 I #17 (14)

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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. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed 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 Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option $ 24.0628 03/29/2005   M     267,210   (15) 04/10/2005 Common Stock 267,210 (16) 0 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
LINDNER CARL H III
ONE EAST FOURTH STREET
CINCINNATI, OH 45202
  X     Co-President  

Signatures

 Carl H. Lindner III By: James C. Kennedy, as Attorney-in-Fact   03/30/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) The Reporting Person transferred 713 shares of AFG common stock to Indirect #1.
(2) Indirect #1: By Carl H. Lindner III, For the Second Amended & Restated Carl H. Lindner III Family Trust Dated 3/11/94.
(3) Indirect #2: By Martha S. Lindner (Spouse), Trustee For the Second Amended and Restated Marth S. Lindner Family Trust dated 3/11/94.
(4) Indirect #4: Allocated to the Reporting Person's account in the Issuer's Retirement and Savings Plan (401(k) Plan"), based on a 401(k) Plan statement dated as of 12/31/04.
(5) Indirect #5: By Keith E. Lindner, Trustee under an Irrevocable Trust Indenture with Carl H. Lindner III dated 11/1/82.
(6) Indirect #6: By Keith E. Lindner, Trustee under an Irrevocable Trust Indenture with Carl H. Lindner III dated 7/1/83.
(7) Indirect #8: By Keith E. Lindner, Trustee under an Irreovocable Trust Indenture with Carl H. Lindner III and Martha S. Lindner dated 10/23/84.
(8) Indirect #12: CHL Investments, LLC, a limited liability company directly or indirectly wholly-owned by the Reporting Person.
(9) Indirect #10: By Keith E. Lindner, Trustee under an irrevocable Trust Indenture with Carl H. Lindner III and Martha S. Lindner dated 9/26/89.
(10) Indirect #14: Carl H. Lindner III, custodian of a minor.
(11) Indirect #13: Daughter of Reporting Person
(12) Indirect #15: Son of Reporting Person.
(13) Indirect #16: Son of Reporting Person.
(14) Indirect #17: Spouse of Reporting Person.
(15) These Employee Stock Options ("Options") become exercisable as to 20% of the shares initially granted on the first anniversary of the date of grant, with an additional 20% becoming exercisable on each subsequent anniversary. The Options were granted under the Issuer's Stock Option Plan pursuant to Rule 16b-3. Initial date of grant was 2/12/92.
(16) The Reporting Person exercised this option using previously held shares of the issuer.

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