Commerce Bancshares (CBSH) 8-K Commerce Bancshares, Inc. Declares Dividend

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMMERCE BANCSHARES, INC. DECLARES DIVIDEND

Kansas City, MO, April 15, 2009— Commerce Bancshares, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share on the company’s common stock payable June 26, 2009, to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 9, 2009.

About Commerce Bancshares, Inc.

Commerce Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH) is a $17.9 billion regional bank holding company. For more than 140 years, Commerce has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses. Commerce provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management and estate planning and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce operates in the Midwest, primarily in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Colorado with 370 locations and also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For more information contact:

Jeffery D. Aberdeen
Controller
(816) 234-2081
www.commercebank.com
mymoney@commercebank.com

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