I don't think wear is an issue with the 26-S. The softness of the 6 is an effect of the striking process, and so are the softened high points. Notice the bow tie tip, even though it is not very easy to see. It's also sometimes helpful refer to the reverse as well to gauge general condition when you have a soft obverse and strong reverse. And don't forget the mint luster. The coin isn't the prettiest, but the mint luster can't be ignored and it can't be faked. It's often tough to tell what's going on in photos of coins with strike issues.
I agree totally! That's a wonderful coin and I can tell it has original mint luster. What the non-hardcore Lincoln collectors are missing is an understanding of the series. There's quite a few problems with the San Fran mint during the 20's. They over-used the dies and the planchet quality is quite questionable. Finding a nice, MS coin with mint luster in the 24-S is very, very difficult. I can find a bright red S-VDB easier!
It's called an over-used die. It was common practice at the branch mints in the 20's to turn out inferior product. If he passes, it might be a year or much longer before he finds another one.