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                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 5

               ANNUAL 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 Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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

[_]  Form 3 Holdings Reported

[_]  Form 4 Transactions Reported

________________________________________________________________________________
1.   Name and Address of Reporting Person*

Howell, Jr.                          Hilton                    H.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                            (First)              (Middle)

4370 Peachtree Road, NE
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

Atlanta                            Georgia                  30319-3000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                            (State)                (Zip)
________________________________________________________________________________
2.   Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

     Atlantic American Corporation - AAME

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

     ###-##-####
________________________________________________________________________________
4.   Statement for Month/Year

     December, 1998
________________________________________________________________________________
5.   If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)



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

     [X]  Director                             [X]  10% Owner
     [X]  Officer (give title below)           [ ]  Other (specify below)

               President & CEO
________________________________________________________________________________
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
================================================================================


                                                                                                 5.             6.
                                                                 4.                              Amount of      Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Securities     ship      
                                                                 Disposed of (D)                 Beneficially   Form:     7.        
                                                                 (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Owned at End   Direct    Nature of 
                                      2.            3.           -----------------------------   of Issuer's    (D) or    Indirect  
1.                                    Transaction   Transaction                  (A)             Fiscal Year    Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          Code             Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership 
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)    (Instr. 8)                   (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  

Common Stock                                                                                    10,766(1)         I     401(k)     
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                           N/A                                                      27,900            D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                           N/A                                                       1,025            I     By Spouse(2)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                           N/A                                                       6,720            I   Joint by Son
                                                                                                                      with Harriett
                                                                                                                      J. Robinson(2)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

====================================================================================================================================

*    If the form is filed by more than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
     4(b)(v).

Reminder:  Report on a separate line for each class of  securities  beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.


                                                                          (Over)
(Form 5-07/98)

FORM 5 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) ================================================================================ 9. 10. Number Owner- of ship 2. Deriv- of Conver- 5. 7. ative Deriv- 11. sion Number of Title and Amount Secur- ative Nature or Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. ities Secur- of Exer- Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In- cise 3. Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct Price Trans- 4. or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene- 1. of action Trans- of (D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial Title of Deriv- Date action (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner- Derivative ative (Month/ Code 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Year (I) ship Security Secur- Day/ (Instr. ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. 3) ity Year) 8) (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Employee Stock Option $3.734 10/27/98 A(3) 50,000 10/27/98 10/27/03 Cmn. Stk. 50,000 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Employee Stock Option $3.734 10/27/98 A(3) 25,000 10/27/99 10/27/03 Cmn. Stk. 25,000 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Employee Stock Option $3.734 10/27/98 A(3) 25,000 10/27/00 10/27/03 Cmn. Stk. 25,000 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Employee Stock Option $4.25 10/31/97 D(4) 100,000 10/31/97 10/31/02 Cmn. Stk. 100,000 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Employee Stock Option $3.75 12/14/98 A(5) 100,000 10/31/97 10/31/02 Cmn. Stk. 100,000 320,000 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==================================================================================================================================== Explanation of Responses: 1 The information herein is based on a plan statement as of January 5, 1999. 2 Reporting Person expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities. 3 Option to buy 100,000 shares Common Stock, exempt under Rule 16b-3, of which 50% were exercisable on 10/27/98; an additional 25% are excercisable 10/27/99; and the remaining 25% are exercisable on 10/27/00. These options are granted under the Atlantic American Corporation 1992 Incentive Plan. 4 Cancellation of option in connection with grant of replacement option. 5 The reported transaction involved the repricing of existing options that were originally granted on October 31, 1997 for 100,000 shares, of which 50% were exercisable on October 31, 1997, an additional 25% were exercisable on October 31, 1998 and the remaining 25% are exercisable on October 31, 1999. The vesting terms were not amended at the time of repricing. 1/29/99 - --------------------------------------------- ----------------------- Hilton H. Howell, Jr. Date **Signature of Reporting Person ** 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. Page 2