Sec Form 4 Filing - Hedlund Steven B @ LINCOLN ELECTRIC HOLDINGS INC - 2013-03-05

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

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 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(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: November 30, 2011 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Hedlund Steven B 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol LINCOLN ELECTRIC HOLDINGS INC [ LECO] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) V. P. Strategy & Bus. Dev. (Last) (First) (Middle) 22801 ST. CLAIR AVENUE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 03/05/2013 (Street) CLEVELAND, OH44117-1199 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) __ X __ Form filed by One Reporting Person _____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Shares 03/05/2013 F 524 D $ 56.15 12,962.417 ( 1 ) D Common Shares 03/07/2013 M 2,916 A $ 33.375 15,878.417 D Common Shares 03/07/2013 S 2,916 D 12,962.417 D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 33.375 03/07/2013 M 2,916 09/24/2011 09/24/2018 Common Shares 2,916 $ 0 0 D

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other Hedlund Steven B 22801 ST. CLAIR AVENUE CLEVELAND, OH44117-1199 V. P. Strategy & Bus. Dev. Signatures /s/ Jennifer I. Ansberry, Jennifer I. Ansberry as Attorney-in-Fact for Steven B. Hedlund 03/07/2013 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )Includes 17.428 additional shares since the reporting person's last report attributable to a broker-sponsored dividend reinvestment plan. Also, includes 55 additional shares attributable to dividends earned on shares of restricted stock that were granted on December 1, 2009 and vested on March 5, 2013. ( 2 )100 sold at $56.1128; 100 sold at $56.0900; 2,416 sold at $56.0700; and 300 sold at $56.1000.

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

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

** 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 is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.