Exhibit 99.1


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                                     Selective Insurance
                                     40 Wantage Avenue
                                     Branchville, New Jersey 07890
                                     www.selective.com

For release on Oct. 31, 2005
Media Contact: Sharon Cooper
973-948-1324, sharon.cooper@selective.com

Investor Contact: Jennifer Diberardino
973-948-1364, jennifer.diberardino@selective.com


                      Selective Insurance Group Announces
                      $100 Million Senior Notes Offering

Branchville, NJ - Oct. 31, 2005 - Selective Insurance Group, Inc.
(NASDAQ:SIGI) today announced it is proposing to raise $100 million of gross
proceeds through an offering of senior notes due 2035, subject to market
conditions.

Selective intends to contribute $50 million of the net proceeds to fund an
irrevocable trust to provide for payment obligations in respect of its
outstanding debt. Selective intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds
of the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include capital
contributions to its insurance subsidiaries and share repurchases.

The notes will be offered in the United States to qualified institutional
buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities
Act") and institutional investors that are accredited investors within the
meaning of the Securities Act and outside the United States pursuant to
Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes have not been registered
under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered
or sold in the United States without registration or an applicable exemption
from registration requirements.

This press release is neither an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an
offer to buy the notes or any other securities and shall not constitute an
offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such an offer,
solicitation or sale is unlawful. Any offers of the notes will be made only by
means of a private offering memorandum.

Selective Insurance Group, Inc., headquartered in Branchville, New Jersey, is
a holding company for six property and casualty insurance companies that offer
primary and alternative market insurance for commercial and personal risks.
The insurance companies are rated "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best. Through other
subsidiaries, the company offers medical claim management services; human
resources administration services; risk management products and services; and
flood insurance policy, administration and claim services. Selective maintains
a website at www.selective.com




In this press release, Selective and its management discuss and make
statements based on currently available information regarding their
intentions, beliefs, current expectations, and projections regarding
Selective's future operations and performance. Such statements are
"forward-looking" statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, which provides a safe harbor under the Securities Act of
1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as "may,"
"will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "target,"
"project," "propose," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential,"
"pro forma," "seek," "likely," or "continue," or other comparable terminology
and their negatives. Selective and its management assume no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements due to changes in underlying factors,
new information, future developments or otherwise.

Selective and its management caution investors that such forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance. Risks and uncertainties
are inherent in Selective's future performance. Factors that could cause
Selective's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements, include, among other things, those discussed or
identified from time to time in our public filings with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and those associated with:

o     the frequency and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not
      limited to, hurricanes, tornadoes, windstorms, earthquakes, hail, severe
      winter weather, fires, explosions and terrorism;
o     adverse economic, market, regulatory, legal or judicial conditions;
o     the concentration of our business in a number of Eastern region states;
o     the adequacy of our loss reserves and loss expense reserves;
o     the cost and availability of reinsurance;
o     our ability to collect on reinsurance and the solvency of our
      reinsurers;
o     uncertainties related to insurance premium rate increases and business
      retention;
o     changes in insurance regulations that impact our ability to write and/or
      cease writing insurance policies in one or more states particularly
      changes in New Jersey automobile insurance laws and regulations;
o     our ability to maintain favorable ratings from rating agencies,
      including A.M. Best, S&P, Moody's and Fitch;
o     fluctuations in interest rates and the performance of the financial
      markets; and
o     our entry into new markets and businesses.

Selective's SEC filings can be accessed through the Investors and Corporate
Governance sections of the company's website, www.selective.com, or through
the SEC's EDGAR Database at www.sec.gov (Selective EDGAR CIK No. 0000230557).

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