8-K/A

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


                            Washington, D.C.  20549

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

                                  Form 8-K/A

                                CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                     THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


     Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 30, 1998


                           NATIONAL MERCANTILE BANCORP
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


         California                     0-15982              95-3819685
  (State or Other Jurisdiction        (Commission          (IRS Employer
     of Incorporation)                File Number)        Identification No.)


                             1840 Century Park East
                          Los Angeles, California 90067
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                                (310) 277-2265
                        (Registrant's Telephone Number)



Registrant's Report on Form 8-K dated October 30, 1998 is amended and 
restated in its entirety to read as follows:

Item 4.  Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant

     On October 30, 1998 National Mercantile Bancorp terminated the 
engagement of Deloitte & Touche LLP ("Deloitte") as its independent auditors. 
This decision was recommended by the Audit Committee of the Board of 
Directors of the Company and was approved by the Board of Directors of the 
Company.

     Deloitte's report on the Company's financial statements for the year 
ended December 31, 1996, contained a "going concern" qualification based on 
the failure of the Company's bank subsidiary to meet the leverage and tier 
one risk based capital requirement under regulatory agreements with the 
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Office of the Comptroller of 
the Currency and possible further regulatory enforcement actions if the 
Company and the bank subsidiary were unable to comply with these agreements 
(these agreements were subsequently terminated). 

     During the Company's two most recent fiscal years and the period 
commencing January 1, 1998 and ending October 30, 1998: (i) the Company had 
no disagreements with Deloitte, whether or not resolved, on any matter of 
accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or 
auditing scope or procedure, which, if not resolved to Deloitte's 
satisfaction, would have caused it to make reference to the subject matter of 
the disagreement in connection with its report; and (ii) Deloitte did not 
advise the Company of any of the events requiring reporting in this Form 8-K 
under Item 304(a)(iv)(B).

     On October 30, 1998, the Company engaged Arthur Andersen LLP as its 
independent auditors to audit its financial statements for the year ending 
December 31, 1998.  Prior to such engagement, the Company did not consult 
with Arthur Andersen regarding the application of accounting principles to a 
specific, completed or contemplated transaction, or the type of audit opinion 
that might be rendered on the Company's financial statements. 

Item 7.  Financial Statements, Proforma Financial Information and Exhibits.

         (c).  Exhibit 16.   Letter of Deloitte & Touche LLP




                                  SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the 
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

     November 20, 1998                 NATIONAL MERCANTILE BANCORP



                                       By: /s/ Joseph W. Kiley
                                          --------------------------
                                           Joseph W. Kiley, III
                                           Executive Vice President and
                                           Chief Financial Officer 

EX-16

                                  [LETTERHEAD]


November 20, 1998


Securities and Exchange Commission
Mail Stop 9-5
450 5th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549


Dear Sirs/Madams:

We have read the comments in Item 4 of Form 8-K/A of National Mercantile 
Bancorp (the "Company") dated November 20, 1998 and have the following 
comments:

- -  We have no basis to agree or disagree with the statements made in the 
   first and fourth paragraphs.

- -  We agree with the statements made in the second and third paragraphs.

Yours truly,




DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP


cc:  Mr. Scott Montgomery 
     President & Chief Executive Officer 
     National Mercantile Bancorp