Wallet
The Wallet is a recurring item in the Legend of Zelda series. It is an item Link uses to hold any Rupees he collects on his quest. The Wallet's maximum capacity ranges from 99 to 9,999 Rupees. Link can usually upgrade the wallet by way of a side quest such as killing Gold Skulltulas and collecting the tokens.
Appearances
The Legend of Zelda through The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Wallets are not mentioned until Ocarina of Time, and Link can carry a set number of rupees throughout the entire course of each of the first four games. In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, there is no Rupee system, since there are no items to purchase.
In The Legend of Zelda', Link can hold up to 255 Rupees, because the maximum variable is 255 in older computer systems (such used in the Nintendo Entertainment System). In A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, the maximum is 999 Rupees.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Link starts off with the Child's Wallet, which can hold up to 99 Rupees. Link can obtain the Adult's Wallet, which can hold 200 Rupees, by killing 10 Gold Skulltulas. Link can also obtain the larger Giant's Wallet by killing 30 Gold Skulltulas. This can carry a maximum of 500 Rupees, which is also the maximum amount allowed in the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Again, Link can hold only 99 Rupees with the default wallet. After depositing 200 Rupees in West Clock Town's bank, he gets the Adult's Wallet, which holds 200 Rupees. After killing all thirty Gold Skulltulas and collecting their spirits in the Oceanside Spider House on the First Day, Link receives the Giant's Wallet, allowing him to carry up to 500 Rupees.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
The wallet is similar to A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening in that there is one wallet that can hold up to 999 Rupees. While in Subrosia, the 999 Rupee limit applies to also Ore Chunks.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
For the first time in the series, the maximum amount of Rupees that can be carried passes the 1,000 mark. Link's initial wallet holds 200 Rupees. The first upgrade from the Fortune Goddess gives him a 1,000 Rupee capacity. The second upgrade, also by a Great Fairy, allows him to hold a maximum of 5,000 Rupees. It is necessary to get at least one of these upgrades in order to pay Tingle the fee of 398 Rupees he requires to decipher a Triforce Chart.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap is the first handheld game to feature wallet upgrades. The starting wallet is capable of holding 99 Rupees. The three wallet upgrades can be obtained in any order. One can be bought from Stockwell for 80 Rupees. Another is unlocked by fusing Kinstones with Mayor Hagen. A third one is found in the Great Fairy Fountain in the Minish Woods. The capacity of the wallets will increase from 300, to 500, and ultimately to 999.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Link starts out with the normal Wallet, which has the capacity for 300 Rupees. Then, by collecting a Golden Bug for Agitha, Link is given the Big Wallet, which can hold 600 Rupees. After Link collects all of the possible Golden Bugs, Agitha gives him the Giant's Wallet, which holds 1,000 Rupees.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
These games feature no wallet upgrades, but claim the title of highest Rupee capacity in any canon games, which is 9,999 Rupees; this is likely because of the high price of ship and train parts.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Link starts out with a Small Wallet, which holds up to 300 Rupees. Capacity can be increased by buying up to three Extra Wallets from Beedle (each with a +300 Rupee increase) or helping Batreaux collect Gratitude Crystals for a base capacity upgrade to 500, 1,000, 5,000 and finally 9,000 Rupees.