Ok, found the source of the odd characters. To see it, search my code above for: </span>

In one version, that was blank space. In another, it was hardcoded space (&nbsp;). I tried removing the spaces, glitched out. So then I put back in hard coded space and worked.

Mostly.

The "Add to Cart" button on prod pages is still wonky. After I track that down, I'll try inserting the glyphs as you mentioned.