Hello and welcome to the forum.
I have a 1937 $1 note somewhere in my collection that is known as a “shrunken” note. You can tell it shrunk and not trimmed as the margins are still quite wide, and when matched up against a non-shrunken note, you will see that even the printed area is also smaller in size.
Telling a trimmed note can sometimes be very tough. Things to look and think about
- If the edge of the note is bright white compared to the rest of the notes
- The note has signs of circulation, and the corners are sharp and pointed
- There are no margins left on the note, and the edges are tight with the design
- As mentioned, the size of the note is much smaller when compared to other notes.
There a slight variation in sizing of non-tampered with notes, they could be higher/shorter or wider/narrower, due to position in the cutter and where the note lies in the stack. This was made very evident with the journey series tens with missing circle right on the edge of the note. The notes in the first half of the stack did not have the white circle, and the lower half had the circle, indicating there is a shift slight buckling in the paper when it is sliced.
I also have in my collection a note that is cut higher and narrower, and it is all original.
I hope this does not confuse you anymore