HTML Entity for Caduceus (☤)
What You'll Learn
How to display the Caduceus (☤) in HTML using numeric references and CSS escapes. This character is U+2624 (CADUCEUS) in the Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF), approved in Unicode 1.1 (1993). It depicts a winged staff with two intertwined snakes—the staff of Hermes (Mercury) in Greek and Roman mythology, traditionally linked to commerce, trade, and negotiation.
Although widely used in medical branding, the historically correct medical emblem is the Staff of Aesculapius (⚕, U+2695)—a single snake on a staff without wings. There is no named HTML entity for U+2624; use ☤, ☤, or \2624 in CSS.
⚡ Quick Reference — Caduceus
U+2624Miscellaneous Symbols block
☤Hexadecimal reference
☤Decimal reference
—None (use numeric refs)
Name Value
──────────── ──────────
Unicode U+2624
Hex code ☤
HTML code ☤
Named entity —
CSS code \2624Complete HTML Example
This example shows U+2624 using hexadecimal and decimal references plus a CSS content escape. There is no named HTML entity:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
#point:after{
content: "\2624";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p>Caduceus using Hexa Decimal: ☤</p>
<p>Caduceus using HTML Code: ☤</p>
<p id="point">Caduceus using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>🌐 Browser Support
U+2624 is widely supported in modern browsers; glyph detail depends on font coverage of Miscellaneous Symbols:
👀 Live Preview
See the Caduceus rendered live alongside the medical staff symbol:
🧠 How It Works
Hexadecimal Code
☤ references code point U+2624 using hex digits 2624.
Decimal HTML Code
☤ is the decimal equivalent (9764) for the same Caduceus character.
CSS Entity
\2624 is the CSS escape for U+2624, used in the content property of ::before or ::after.
Same visual result
All three methods produce the Caduceus glyph: ☤. Related medical emblem: Staff of Aesculapius U+2695 (⚕) — single snake, no wings.
Use Cases
The Caduceus (☤) commonly appears in:
Hermes’ staff for shipping, logistics, trade associations, and business logos.
Clinics and pharmacies (common usage; ⚕ is historically more accurate for medicine).
Drug stores, health products, and medical-adjacent branding.
Mythology, medical history, symbolism, and classics publications.
Negotiation and mediation symbolism in legal or diplomatic contexts.
Thematic branding, certificates, and symbolic graphics.
Use aria-label="Caduceus" or visible text; don’t rely on the glyph alone.
💡 Best Practices
Do
- Use
☤or☤consistently in markup - Use ⚕ (U+2695) when you need the traditional medical staff symbol
- Label icons with
aria-label(e.g. “Caduceus” or “Medical clinic”) - Pick fonts that render Miscellaneous Symbols clearly
- Declare
<meta charset="utf-8">in HTML documents
Don’t
- Present ☤ as the historically correct medical emblem without context
- Confuse Caduceus ☤ (two snakes, wings) with Staff of Aesculapius ⚕
- Expect a named HTML entity—none exists for U+2624
- Use CSS escape
\2624inside HTML text nodes - Use decorative medical symbols without accessible labels in UI
Key Takeaways
Two numeric references render ☤
☤ ☤CSS content escape
\2624U+2624 CADUCEUS — Miscellaneous Symbols block
Hermes staff: commerce/trade; medical emblem is usually ⚕
No named entity—use hex, decimal, or CSS escape
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
☤ (hex), ☤ (decimal), or \2624 in CSS content. There is no named entity.U+2624 (CADUCEUS). Miscellaneous Symbols block (U+2600–U+26FF). Hex 2624, decimal 9764. Winged staff with two snakes—staff of Hermes.⚕ (⚕).\2624 belongs in stylesheets, typically in the content property of pseudo-elements. Both produce ☤.☤, ☤, or \2624 in CSS depending on whether you are authoring markup or styles.Explore More HTML Entities!
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