Scales (⚖) is the Miscellaneous Symbols character at Unicode U+2696 (BALANCE SCALE). It is the classic scales-of-justice icon used for law, fairness, and balance themes.
Remember
Character ⚖
Unicode U+2696
Hex entity ⚖
Decimal ⚖
Named entity (none)
CSS escape \2696
Not the same ♎ (Libra zodiac) · ⚕ (staff of Aesculapius)
Hex, decimal, CSS, and a typed character all produce the same glyph: ⚖. Prefer ⚖ when you want an explicit entity. For the medical rod look-alike, see Staff of Aesculapius.
Using Hex Code: ⚖
Using HTML Code: ⚖
Using CSS Entity: ⚖
⚖ Justice & Fairness
How It Works
1. Hex:U+2696 → ⚖ in HTML. The browser turns it into ⚖.
2. Decimal: same code point as 9878 → ⚖. Same result as hex.
3. Named: HTML5 does not define a named entity for this character — use hex or decimal instead.
4. CSS: use \2696 in content (not an HTML entity). #point::after appends that ⚖ after the paragraph text.
Pitfalls & Tips
Common mistakes when working with Scales.
Look-alikes
⚖ ≠ ♎
U+2696 is the balance scale (justice). U+264E is Libra — the zodiac sign. Similar theme, different Unicode meanings.
Named
No &…; name
Do not invent a name. Use ⚖ or ⚖.
A11y
Label justice marks
If ⚖ stands alone for “law” or “justice,” add visible text or aria-label so the meaning is clear.
Fonts
Glyph coverage
Most modern fonts include U+2696. Still test small sizes — the pans can blur below ~14px.
CSS vs HTML
Do not mix escapes
\2696 belongs in CSS. ⚖ / ⚖ belong in HTML.
Semicolon
End references
Always finish with ; — write ⚖, not ⚖.
Compatibility
Browser Support
Scales (U+2696) and its entity forms (⚖, ⚖, CSS \\2696) are supported in all modern browsers. Glyph coverage depends on the font.
✓ Universal encoding
Scales (⚖)
Encode with hex, decimal, or CSS escape — or type ⚖ directly in UTF-8 HTML. No named entity.
100%Browser coverage
Google ChromeSupported
Yes
Microsoft EdgeSupported
Yes
Mozilla FirefoxSupported
Yes
Apple SafariSupported
Yes
OperaSupported
Yes
Internet ExplorerIE 9+
Yes*
U+2696Full support
Bottom line: Prefer ⚖ for readable HTML. Use \\2696 only inside CSS content. Do not confuse with Libra (U+264E).
Remember
Key Takeaways
Unicode: this symbol is U+2696 (decimal 9878) — balance scale / scales of justice.
HTML: prefer ⚖ — or use ⚖. No named entity.
CSS: use \2696 inside content for generated text.
Watch out: not the same as Libra (U+264E) or staff of Aesculapius (U+2695).
One line:U+2696 → ⚖ / ⚖ / CSS \2696 (no named entity).
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ⚖ (hex), ⚖ (decimal), or the CSS escape \2696 in the content property. All render ⚖ when the font supports Miscellaneous Symbols. There is no named HTML entity.
U+2696 (BALANCE SCALE). Hex 2696, decimal 9878. It belongs to Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF). It is the scales-of-justice symbol.
No. HTML5 does not define a named entity for U+2696. Use numeric references like ⚖ or ⚖.
Use it for legal and court content, justice themes, balance or fairness messaging, and professional law branding. Prefer U+264E (Libra) only when you mean the zodiac sign.
HTML entities (⚖ or ⚖) go in markup. The CSS escape \2696 is used in stylesheets (usually in the content property of ::before/::after). Both render ⚖.
U+2696 is BALANCE SCALE (justice). U+264E is LIBRA (zodiac). U+2695 is STAFF OF AESCULAPIUS (medicine). Related themes, different symbols.
🤔
Did you know?
Scales is Unicode U+2696 (decimal 9878) — BALANCE SCALE, the classic scales-of-justice symbol. HTML5 has no named entity — use ⚖ or ⚖. Do not confuse it with Libra (U+264E, zodiac) or the staff of Aesculapius (U+2695).
