4 1 NASD0001182101 Officer Commerce Bancshares, Inc. 0000022356430889454 12/20/02 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s) Aberdeen, Jeffery D. 1000 Walnut Street Kansas City, Missouri 64106 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year 12/20/2002 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [ ] Director [ ] 10% Owner [X] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) Controller 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Common Stock 12/20/02 M 200 A $13.429388 6,581 D Direct Common Stock 227 I Custodian-Daughte r 1 Common Stock 227 I Custodian-Daughte r 2 Common Stock 227 I Custodian-Son Common Stock 5,272 I Thrift Plan Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option (right to buy) $13.429388 12/20/02 M 200 02/04/94 (1) 02/03/04 Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stock Option (right to buy) 12/20/02 Common Stock 200 1,365 D Direct Explanation of Responses: (1) Options to buy granted under Issuer's Rule 16(b)-3 stock option plans exercisable in four equal annual increments each beginning 2/4 /94. - Stock Holdings adjusted to include 5% Stock Dividend, record date 11/29/2002; payable 12/13/2002. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ Aberdeen, Jeffery D. DATE 12/23/02