U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF 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(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Fitzpatrick Stephen
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(Last) (First) (Middle)
500 Park Blvd.
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(Street)
Itasca IL 60143
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(City) (State) (Zip)
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2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
02/24/99
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3. IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)
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4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc. (AIF)
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5. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
[_] Director [_] 10% Owner
[X] Officer (give title below) [_] Other (specify below)
Chief Underwriting Officer
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6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
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7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line)
[X] Form Filed by One Reporting Person
[_] Form Filed by More than One Reporting Person
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
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3. Ownership Form:
2. Amount of Securities Direct (D) or
1. Title of Security Beneficially Owned Indirect (I) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 5) (Instr. 4)
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock 202 shares D ESOP
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Common Stock 251 shares I (1) 401(K)
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(1) The shares are held in the reporting person's account by the Trustee of Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc. Employee Stock
Ownership and Tax Deferred Savings Plan and the Company 401(K) Plan.
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* If the Form is filed by more than one Reporting Person, see Instruction
5(b)(v).
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
(Form 3-07/98)
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FORM 3 (continued)
Table II -- Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
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5. Owner-
3. Title and Amount of Securities ship
Underlying Derivative Security Form of
2. Date Exercisable (Instr. 4) Derivative
and Expiration Date --------------------------------- 4. Conver- Security:
(Month/Day/Year) Amount sion or Direct 6. Nature of
---------------------- or Exercise (D) or Indirect
Date Expira- Number Price of Indirect Beneficial
1. Title of Derivative Exer- tion of Derivative (I) Ownership
Security (Instr. 4) cisable Date Title Shares Security (Instr. 5) (Instr. 5)
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Incentive Stock Option * * Common Stock 15,000 * D
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* The options were granted September 4, 1998 pursuant to the Acceptance Insurance Companies Inc. 1996 Incentive Stock Option Plan,
as amended. They vest and may be exercised in five equal, annual increments beginning September 4, 1999. The exercise prices for
the five installments are $21.34, $24.55, $28.23, $32.46 and $37.34 respectively. All unexercised options expire September
4, 2008.
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Explanation of Responses:
/s/ Stephen Fitzpatrick April 12, 1999
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**Signature of Reporting Person Date
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal
Violations.
See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
