HTML Entity for Maltese Cross (✠)

Beginner

5 min read

Updated: Sep 2026

1 example

Unicode U+2720

HTML Entity for Maltese Cross (U+2720) tutorial illustration

Definition

What Is the Maltese Cross Entity?

Maltese Cross (✠) is the Dingbats character at Unicode U+2720 (MALTESE CROSS). It is a four-armed cross with V-shaped arms, often used in heraldry, history, and decorative design.

Remember

Character     ✠
Unicode       U+2720
Named entity  &malt;
Hex entity    &#x2720;
Decimal       &#10016;
CSS escape    \2720

Named, hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ✠. Prefer &malt; in HTML source for clarity.

Reference

Quick Reference

One table for every form you will actually use.

Form	Code	Where it goes
Named entity	`&malt;`	HTML markup (best default)
Hex entity	`✠`	HTML markup
Decimal entity	`✠`	HTML markup
CSS escape	`\2720`	Stylesheet `content`
Direct character	`✠`	UTF-8 HTML text

When to Use Which

Situation	Use
Readable HTML source	`&malt;`
Numeric entity required	`✠` or `✠`
Generated text via `::before` / `::after`	`content: "\2720"`
Latin cross ✝ instead	`U+271D` — different character
Dagger † instead	`&dagger;` (`U+2020`)

See it

Live Preview

Maltese Cross rendered in common UI contexts.

Inline text Order of Malta: ✠

Large glyph ✠

Named entity &malt; → ✠

vs ✝ / † ✠ | ✝ | †

With entities Named: ✠ | Hex: ✠ | Decimal: ✠

Code

Complete HTML Example

One page that shows the Maltese Cross with named, hex, decimal, and CSS forms. Use View Output or open the live editor.

Named + Hex + Decimal + CSS

Four ways to produce ✠ in a single document.

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Maltese Cross (&malt;)</title>
  <style>
    #point::after {
      content: "\2720";
    }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <p>Using Named Entity: &malt;</p>
  <p>Using Hex Code: &#x2720;</p>
  <p>Using HTML Code: &#10016;</p>
  <p id="point">Using CSS Entity: </p>
</body>
</html>

Try It Yourself

How It Works

1. Named: &malt; is the clearest HTML form and renders ✠.

2. Hex: U+2720 → ✠ in HTML. Same result as the named entity.

3. Decimal: same code point as 10016 → ✠. Same result as hex.

4. CSS: use \2720 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ✠ after the paragraph text.

Pitfalls & Tips

Common mistakes when working with the Maltese Cross.

Named

Prefer `&malt;`

The named entity is clearer than numeric forms and is defined in HTML5.

Look-alikes

Not ✝ or †

Latin cross and dagger are different Unicode characters. Maltese Cross is only U+2720.

Font

Glyph support varies

Some fonts draw ✠ differently — test with your project fonts if the shape matters.

CSS vs HTML

Do not mix escapes

\2720 belongs in CSS. &malt; / ✠ / ✠ belong in HTML.

Encoding

Declare UTF-8

If you type ✠ directly, keep <meta charset="UTF-8"> so the file is not misread.

Semicolon

End references

Always finish with ; — write &malt;, not &malt.

Compatibility

Browser Support

Maltese Cross (U+2720) and its entity forms (&malt;, ✠, ✠, CSS \\2720) are supported in all mainstream browsers.

✓ Universal encoding

Maltese Cross (&malt;)

Encode with named, hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ✠ directly in UTF-8 HTML.

100% Browser coverage

Google Chrome Supported

Yes

Microsoft Edge Supported

Yes

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Yes

Apple Safari Supported

Yes

Opera Supported

Yes

Internet Explorer IE 9+

Yes*

U+2720 Full support

Bottom line: Prefer &malt; for readable HTML. Use \\2720 only inside CSS content.

Remember

Key Takeaways

Unicode: Maltese Cross is U+2720 (decimal 10016).
HTML: prefer &malt; — or use ✠ / ✠.
CSS: use \2720 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: ✠ ≠ ✝ ≠ † — different Unicode characters.

One line: U+2720 → &malt; / ✠ / ✠ / CSS \2720.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I display the Maltese Cross in HTML using entities?

Use &malt; (named), ✠ (hex), ✠ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2720 in the content property. All render ✠. Prefer &malt; in HTML source.

What is the Unicode value for the Maltese Cross?

U+2720 (MALTESE CROSS). Hex 2720, decimal 10016. It belongs to the Dingbats block.

Is there a named HTML entity for the Maltese Cross?

Yes. &malt; is the HTML5 named entity for ✠.

When should I use the Maltese Cross HTML entity?

Use it for heraldry, historical references, decorative icons, and design content that needs the ✠ symbol.

What is the difference between HTML code and CSS entity for U+2720?

HTML entities (&malt;, ✠, or ✠) go in markup. The CSS escape \2720 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ✠.

Is ✠ the same as ✝ or †?

No. Latin cross ✝ is U+271D. Dagger † is &dagger; (U+2020). Maltese Cross ✠ is &malt; (U+2720) — a different glyph.

Did you know?

Maltese Cross is Unicode U+2720 (decimal 10016) — MALTESE CROSS in Dingbats. HTML5 provides &malt; — the most readable form. Often used in heraldry, historical references, and decorative iconography.

Next: Manat Sign

Continue to the next HTML entity in this sequence (U+20BC).

Continue tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

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