Caduceus (☤) is the Unicode character at U+2624 in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (official name: CADUCEUS). It shows Hermes’ winged staff with two snakes and is often used in commerce branding — and sometimes (incorrectly) for medicine.
Remember
Character ☤
Unicode U+2624
Hex entity ☤
Decimal ☤
CSS escape \2624
Named entity (none)
All of these produce the same glyph: ☤. Prefer ⚕ (U+2695) when you mean medicine; use ☤ when you specifically need the caduceus.
Reference
Quick Reference
One table for every form you will actually use.
Form
Code
Where it goes
Direct character
☤
HTML text (UTF-8)
Hex entity
☤
HTML markup
Decimal entity
☤
HTML markup
CSS escape
\2624
Stylesheet content
Named entity
—
Not defined in HTML5
When to use which
Situation
Use
Need the caduceus glyph ☤
Type ☤, or ☤ / ☤
Generated text via ::before / ::after
content: "\2624"
Medicine / healthcare symbol
Prefer ⚕ (U+2695)
Hermes / commerce branding
Use ☤ (U+2624)
Looking for &caduceus; or similar
Does not exist — use numeric form
See it
Live Preview
Caduceus rendered in common writing contexts.
Inline textSymbol: ☤ caduceus
Large glyph☤
Compared☤ ⚕
Monospacemark ☤ → Hermes staff
With entitiesHex: ☤ | Decimal: ☤
Code
Complete HTML Example
One page that shows Caduceus with the hex entity, decimal entity, CSS escape, and a typed character. Use View Output or open the live editor.
Hex + Decimal + CSS + Typed
All four ways to produce ☤ in a single document.
html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Caduceus (☤) in HTML</title>
<style>
#point::after {
content: "\2624";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Caduceus using Hex Code: ☤</p>
<p>Caduceus using HTML Code: ☤</p>
<p id="point">Caduceus using CSS Entity: </p>
<p>Typed directly: ☤</p>
</body>
</html>
Caduceus using Hex Code: ☤
Caduceus using HTML Code: ☤
Caduceus using CSS Entity: ☤
Typed directly: ☤
How It Works
1. Hex:U+2624 → ☤ in HTML. The browser turns it into ☤.
2. Decimal: same code point as 9764 → ☤. Same result as hex.
3. CSS: use \2624 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ☤ after the paragraph text.
4. Typed ☤: fine in UTF-8 pages. All four lines show the same glyph.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Caduceus entities.
Named?
No named entity
HTML5 does not define &caduceus; or similar. Use numeric forms.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2624 belongs in CSS. ☤ / ☤ belong in HTML.
☤ vs ⚕
Different characters
☤ is U+2624 (two snakes). Medicine staff ⚕ is U+2695 (one snake).
Meaning
Pick the right symbol
Caduceus is often misused for healthcare. Prefer Aesculapius for medical UI when accuracy matters.
Fonts
Check the glyph
Miscellaneous Symbols coverage varies. If ☤ is missing, use a fallback font or describe the symbol in text.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ☤, not ☤.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Caduceus (U+2624) and its numeric entity forms (☤, ☤, CSS \\2624) are supported in all mainstream browsers. Glyph shape depends on the font.
✓ Universal support
Caduceus (☤)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or paste ☤ in UTF-8 HTML.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerAll versions
Yes
U+2624 / entitiesFull support
Bottom line: Use ☤ or ☤ for the Unicode glyph, and \\2624 only inside CSS content. Prefer ⚕ for medicine.
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: caduceus is U+2624 (decimal 9764).
HTML: use ☤ or ☤ when you need an entity.
CSS: use \2624 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ☤ ≠ ⚕ (caduceus ≠ staff of Aesculapius).
One line:U+2624 → ☤ / ☤ / CSS \2624, or paste ☤.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ☤ (hex), ☤ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2624 in the content property. All render ☤. You can also paste ☤ directly when your file is UTF-8.
U+2624 (hex 2624, decimal 9764). Unicode names it CADUCEUS. It belongs to the Miscellaneous Symbols block.
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for ☤. Use numeric references like ☤ or ☤.
☤ (U+2624) is the caduceus — two snakes and wings, often linked to Hermes/commerce. ⚕ (U+2695) is the staff of Aesculapius — one snake, the usual medicine symbol.
HTML entities (☤ or ☤) go in markup. The CSS escape \2624 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ☤.
Use ☤ for Hermes/caduceus branding or when that exact glyph is required. Prefer ⚕ (U+2695) for medical meaning when accuracy matters.
🤔
Did you know?
Caduceus is Unicode U+2624 (decimal 9764) — official name CADUCEUS in the Miscellaneous Symbols block. HTML5 has no named entity. It is Hermes’ winged staff with two snakes and is not the staff of Aesculapius (U+2695 ⚕), the usual medicine symbol.
